Unforeseen Future
by Mr. Mrs. MDF
Summary: A rumor started everything, a little change in the academy mainly to the two protagonists of the story. Whether the young man will change or the young woman will. Everyone trying to keep them the way they are but a few things are inevitable. Whatever will happen in the world no one will know.
1. Hearsay

_Shokugeki no Soma_ isn't my personal property. All rights reserved to the _mangaka_.

"Listen, Souma. The secret to become a chief is meeting a woman who will make you want to give all the food you make to her."

Nakiri Senzaemon, Tootsuki Academy's Director, was looking at the young man named Yukihira Souma who was bickering with his granddaughter, named Nakiri Erina. In a few weeks prior, he was told that Yukihira Souma was going to have an exchange students program with another school in foreign country, but everything was still a rumor. During the time when the rumor spread out in the whole academy, he was quite shaken because the only potential student to challenge his granddaughter was going abroad will be quite a disaster for her development. In order to prevent such event to occured, he would need to make an effort, It was all about making the greatest generation in the last 50 years of Tootsuki academy. But knowing that Yukihira Souma was the son of Saiba Jouichiro or also known as Yukihira Jouichiro, the rumours wasn't going to stopped because at the time Yukihira Jouichiro was working abroad. Meanwhile, Yukihira Souma himself wasn't saying anything about the rumor which made everything even more confusing. 'Like father like son. He is another stray cat, I wonder what am I supposed to do. Without definite information regarding this rumor and the target place of his exchange program, this is going to be a bigger problem.'

A few days later, Nakiri Alice was going to the academy to make an audience with her grandfather. It was such a nice morning, Alice was really enjoying the environment of the school, Tootsuki Academy. Along with Kurokiba Ryou, she was walking the main path of the academy. A big gate could be seen through the path, entering that gate they were walking leisurely. "It's okay, Pops. Going somewhere in this world is easy, but to make that into reality, I know that skill alone wouldn't be enough, so stop being worried. It's annoying." Suddenly the voice of Yukihira Souma was heard in the lounge. "Yukihira-kun?" she said, hearing that voice. She was peeking through the door and seeing that Yukihiria Souma, a transfer student who entered the academy a semester prior, talking through his phone, 'I wonder who is he talking to', she thought. "You said that I'm not good enough three months ago, and now this. What's with the change of heart? ", Yukihira said. 'He said 'Pops', so that means he is talking to his father, who is his father anyway?' she wondered the matter in her mind, suddenly Ryou said "Milady, can we go now?", "Whoa, Ryou don't scare me like that. Ah, please wait a moment." she answered his question with the intention of hearing a little more of Yukihira's conversation, then she set her eyes to the room and saw that it was too dark to see the inside, "What happened?" she said, "Nothing happened." Yukihira answered her. Then she was stunned, she turned around and saw that Yukihira is walking to the Director's office, she quickly chased him, "So, what did you talking about with your father?" she asked walking along Yukihira with Ryou following her. "It was nothing, my Pops was saying some crap again." Yukihira said, she persisted to ask him again "What kind of 'crap'? You talked like it was a big problem, there is no way that it was a 'crap'", "It doesn't matter. Anyway, I'm going to see the director, where are you two going?" Yukihira said to redirect the subject of conversation. "..." she was silent for a moment, "Milady?" Ryou wondered for a moment, "Oh, yes. I am going to see my grandfather, too. To talk about the school trip next week." She said rushly. "I see, is there a problem about the trip? Didn't get enough tools?", Yukihira asked teasingly. "You talk like I never get enough of cooking progress, there is no problem about it. What about you? Do you go to report some complaints?" she retorted. "Ahahaha, no, there is no complaint. I just want to asked something to him." he answered with a laugh. "What do you want to ask?" she curiously asked. "A few things about the graduation." he answered with a yawn, "What about the graduation? It's still quite few time to talk about it, isn't it?" she continued asking him, "Hmmmmm." Yukihira murmur. "Is it a private matter?" she keep asking as her curiosity getting bigger. "Yeah, you can say that." Yukihira close his eyes when he answered, "Is that so?" she said giving up. "Milady, we are here." Ryou said. "Thanks, Ryou. Shall we go in, Yukihira-kun?", she said, the smiling Yukihira said "Of course."

The next few days after that event, Alice was keep on wondering what did Yukihira talking about with her grandfather. At the director office, she was gone out before Yukihira and her grandfather started talking, so she doesn't have any idea about it. "I wonder if Erina knew about this" she murmured. Then she started rushing to see her cousin. In the Nakiri mansion, Alice went to Erina's room. "Erina, are you in there?" Alice opened the door rashly, then the door was pushing Nakiri Erina to the floor "Argh ...Ugh, what is wrong with you, Alice?" Erina asked touching her sore nose, seeing this Alice asked immediately "Aw, sorry about that. By the way, Erina." "WHAT?" Erina asked angrily. "Do you know anything about Yukihira Souma-kun's transfer?" Alice said smoothly not minding her cousin's high voice. "What? That guy is going to transfer?" Erina asked seriously to Alice, seeing this reaction Alice then pushed it even further by saying "Ooh, so you don't know about it, either? I guess the only one who know about it is our grandfather, then." "How do you know about that? Did that guy say something about it? Why grandfather come up in this?" This time her curiosity has gone over her, Erina asked even more. "No, I didn't hear anything from our grandfather. But Yukihira-kun had a discussion with him a few days ago." Alice said calmly, "Did you involved in that discussion?" Erina said with the same level of calmness. "... No, we go to the director's office together at the time. But I leave before they start discussing the matter. I should've put my ear on the the door." Alice said, pouting. Then Erina said "What about you? Did you hear anything from that guy?" "'That guy?' You mean Yukihira-kun?" Alice asked for confirmation to her cousin. Gritting her teeth Erina said "Yes, that guy. Who do you think we're talking about here?", "Well, you never said his name so I just wanted to be sure." Alice said, slightly snapped Erina said, "Then, did he said anything about it?", "Well, no, at least not directly." Alice said hesitantly, noticing this Erina then said "You heard something, did you? What is it?", "It was the moment before we go to the director's office. He said something about not to worry about his skill to go around the world with his father." Alice said touching her head trying to remember that point. "Then did you ask him about it?" Erina try to confirm the matter, Alice then said trying to mimic Yukihira's quote "He said 'It's okay, Pops. Going somewhere in this world is easy, but to make that into reality, I know that skill alone wouldn't be enough, so stop being worried. It's annoying.', and that it was a 'Private matter about graduation'." "Going around the world and private matter about graduation? If you ask me there is nothing private about graduation." Erina said wondering, "It seems that he was trying to keep it for himself and grandfather, I don't know anything else about it, I came here to confirm it and found out that you don't know anything about it. It was disappointing." Alice said trying to anger Erina. "What do I know about that guy's businesses? It has nothing to do with me?" She said trying to convince her cousin. "Hmmmmm, is that so?" Alice said confirming her cousin's statement, "Yes, that is so", Erina said forcefully. "... Okay then, if you say so. I'll be going now.", Alice said bidding farewell to her cousin, leaving her cousin confused with Yukihira's situation.

The next few days, it's Monday, Erina intended to make a dish in her study, trying a few recipes to perfect her own personal recipe. Perfection was all that she ever asked in her life as a chef and in a dish, whoever ever made it for her. There are only two dishes that ever made her satisfied and ask for more of, it was Saiba Jouichiro and the other person. She had always been dreaming to reach the same level or even surpassing the former, but it was also the truth that the other one had been pushing her to her limits. It was very annoying of him to make her remember everything to the present time they shared. She always made efforts to made him kicked out of the academy, but the problem was that he stand at the same level with her in every sense of skills aside of her 'God's Palate'. Her memory of their moments were making him even annoying to her dislike. "I wonder how is he supposed to go for exchange programs, if he just make it this far. Well, this exchange programs will make him out of my sight for a while. But, I hope it will last forever. That way I will no longer see him face to face ever again." She said while cleaning the plates and other tools in hand. After changing her clothes and go through the lounge, then she see her grandfather was walking alone to the director room. She was quicken her step to greet her grandfather, but she was stopped when she saw that 'That Guy' was greeting her grandfather in a well-mannered gesture. "There is something I would like to discuss, Nakiri-dono, can I take your time for a moment?" he asked the kimono-clothed elder, "Is it about the same thing as the last time you came to talk to me?" Nakiri Senzaemon asked, at the time he noticed that Erina was peeking at the two of them by making a direct eye-contact to her, with this Erina quickly hide herself, she had skipped a heartbeat by then, she was afraid that if she made any involvement to her grandfather's current situation she was making herself a problem, and she didn't want that. "Yes, sir. In that side there is no longer problem about continuity and confirmation regarding studies in this academy, the only thing left is this side of confirmations. 'If it possible, the faster would better' is what he said, sir." 'That guy' said to her grandfather, "If it was the matter then let's continue this conversation in the office." Senzaemon said entering the director's room, 'That guy' said "Yes, sir." By then Erina fell to her knees with sweats on her head trying to calm her heart. After a calmer condition Erina then off to somewhere else far from the director's office.

In the classroom, Erina sit on her chair to think about the event a few minutes prior, "Continuity and confirmation? What did he mean by that?" She murmured while putting her head on the desk. She was thinking about the rumor that spread out in the school but considering that none of 'That Guy''s friends said nothing, it could be all just a false rumor and 'That Guy' will stay in the academy which is a disaster for her. 'By his friends, which means Tadokoro-san will be one of them, I wonder if I can ask her about this.' Erina thought for a moment trying to searching for connections that have the truth about this rumor. She then got up her chair and go out through the door of the classroom, by then she bumped into someone who was taller and older than her making her stepped back, she looked up to see the person then she see her grandfather standing in front of her. "Erina..." Senzaemon said calling out to her, "Excuse my manner. Good day to you, grandfather. Did you have any business in this area, grandfather?" she asked trying to make a conversation aside of the event prior. "You can say that, I also have the right person to talk about it in this moment." Senzaemon said reading her face and mind, Erina started to panic in the inside and asked "Is it me, grandfather?" "Yes, Erina, it's you" Senzaemon answer definitely, then he continued "By the time you saw me and Yukihira in front of the director's office, I'm sure that you have some questions about it. Is there anything I can hear from you?" "Is it okay to ask about matters of 'That Guy', I mean Yukihira Souma?" Erina asked with irritation of mentioning 'That Guy's name, 'Why am I supposed to go through this?' she asked in her thought. "If it's about Yukihira Souma, I might can answer a few of your questions. But I, myself have a few limitation about this matter." Sonzaemon said to Erina, 'So grandfather can't just say anything he wants about 'That Guy' either,' she thought then following with the question of the matter "Is it true that Yukihira Souma is going to have an exchange students program in the future?" "I'm sorry, dear granddaughter, about this question, I myself have no assurance to make this happen" Sonzaemon said with an expression of regret in his face, seeing this Erina asked "Why is that, grandfather? Isn't it a matter regarding to academy beside Yukihira himself. As the director of this academy, you certainly know about this progess?" "Yukihira has a few invitations from abroad." Sonzaemon said, this surprised her, the she asked "Foreign invitations? Why is that, grandfather? I know that he has the potential to get such skill, but he is still behind me. Why is he the one who get those invitations not myself?" "That kind of confidence is good, my dear granddaughter, but one defeat has changed everything." Sonzaemon said to answer her questions, but this statement didn't do any justice for her, then she asked her grandfather for confirmation, "What do you mean by defeat, grandfather?" "Do you remember about the last competition in Tootsuki Academy, Erina?" he asked her about the last tournament she participated. She then remember the tournament that made 'That Guy' on the same level with her. At the time during the tournament, starting from the pre-qualifications, both of them, she and 'That Guy' were on their peak time of academy, scored 100 points in every match which is pre-qualifications, last sixteen competitors, quarter-finals, semi-finals. Everyone of them is stunning moments for Erina and 'That Guy' making a new history in Tootsuki Academy as the Ultimate Candidate of Ultimate first Seat in Tootsuki Elite Ten. But in the end the tournament is stopped by the finals which is the most memorable finals ever in the academy. The finals were completed in three straight draw by both of two finalists scoring perfect points in three duels of culinary. But by the time of the fourth day of the tournament, both she and 'That Guy' didn't attend the match, as she heard from Arato Hisako, her personal aide. Remembering that tournament is hurting her reputation as 'God's Palate'. "What about that tournament? I doubt it has any connections to this matter where Yukihira Souma has invitations, what do you mean by defeat, grandfather? As far as I know we didn't have the match in the fourth day." she tried to retort her grandfather, "Do you not understand about that match, Erina?" her grandfather asked her, she stubbornly said, "No, grandfather, the only thing that I know is that we have the same position at the tournament, and no one defeat the other." "Do you really not understand about that final match and meeting between you and Yukihira Souma, Erina?", "No, I don't understand grandfather. If it was the reason I have no invitations in the present please tell me, what is it?" She begged her grandfather for answer, "..." her grandfather really not expecting this behavior from his granddaughter, but seeing that Erina was saying the truth about his questions, he asked her "Do you remember what was your final words in the third final in the tournament, Erina?" "Yes, of course I remember my own words grandfather, what is ..." she began to say but it hit her to understand the meaning of every action of 'That Guy', when he was no longer interested in her, whether her cooking or herself after the tournament. Going back to the beginning of her rivalry againts 'That Guy' when he said his words in the beggining of his enrollment in the Tootsuki Academy. "Do you understand now, Erina? What happened to him when he heard those words from you?" her grandfather, she then asked "You mean after when I said that 'it was good'?", "Yes, those very words... Those words are the only thing that he ever aiming for since being enrolled to this academy. Since then he never have any interests this school. That acknowledgement was the only goal that his culinary adventour, if you can say so, and it arrive at the final step of the top of his progress in academy level, in this matter he can certainly say that he is the sole Ultimate First Seat of the Tootsuki Academy's Elite Ten, defeating The God's Palate. In another words he stands one level above you, making you take the Second Seat of the Tootsuki Academy's Elite Ten Council." he said so firmly "So this entire time, I've been sitting on the Second Seat of the Tootsuki Academy's Elite Ten. I am the loser of the tournament and 'That Guy' is the sole champion. Is that what you are trying to say grandfather?" She convince her grandfather to answer, she made a serious face this time. "Yes, that is what I've been trying to say, Nakiri Erina. Your defeat isn't what was taken from you but what you have given to him." Sonzaemon said to her granddaughter, she then asked him "Is this why the rumor was started to spread through the academy this few months? That he was considering an exchange with a foreign school?" "The main root of this rumor is at the time when Yukihira Souma was taking a few weeks off from academy." he started to take a walk while telling her a few information about the First Seat of Tootsuki Academy's Elite Ten. They keep on talking until the day was dark and nobody can hear them again.

Four days forward, it was three days prior to school trip. Yukihira Souma is having a nice leisure time by reading a few magazines about the culinary world. Those magazines had been in his sight in the last few weeks, he even took more new magazines after talking to his father, a week prior. "Just reading this magazines, it sure is boring. And it's Friday, means three days left for academy study trip. Osaka's going to be boring when I have nothing to do. By the way... where is Sakaki and the others. Sakaki said that she wants to go somewhere with me today, did she forget about it?" Souma thought loud. "Yukihira Souma, there is a guest for you. Please go to the lounge immediately." said Daimido Fumio-dono through the loudspeaker to his room, "Thanks, Daimido-dono. I'll be right there." Souma said as he started go out of his room. 'I wonder who would pay me a visit at this time. Is this person going to ask me to have a nice day or what?' he thought in his mind by closing his eyes as he approach the lounge. In this room he can see everyone who live in the Polar Star Dormitory chatting to each other, they were Sakaki Ryouko, Marui Zenji, Yoshino Yuuki, Ibusaki Shun, Tadokoro Megumi, Ishikki Satoshi-senpai and Daimido Fumio-dono herself, along with other people who Souma himself had to remember by efforts, but the most surprising presence in the lounge of the Polar Star Dormitory are Arato Hisako and Tootsuki Academy's First Seat of The Elite Ten, Nakiri Erina. "Hey, guys. What's with you people, together in the lounge, is there any event that I missed recently?" he asked everyone in the room, "What are you doing, Yukihira? Doing all by yourself in your room, you're supposed to spend your time outside, especially today is Friday, and it means tomorrow is holiday." Ishikki-san said cheerfully by putting his arm on Souma's shoulder, "That's right, Yukihira. You need to go take a fresh air outside. You're not a N.E.E.T. anyway." Yoshino said by pointing her index finger to Yukihira. "Well, it's true. But, for today you have some guests Yukihira, those two are your guests today." Daimido-dono said by making a gesture to Arato and Nakiri, "... So you two are coming here to see me, what can I do for you two?", Yukihira said with a smile in his face, seeing the two ladies. "I have a business with you today." Nakiri said with a serious face, "Are we going to talk about it here? Or in my room?" Souma asked Nakiri by pointing his thumb behind him. "No, we need somewhere else more private." Nakiri said bluntly, this made averyone in the room murmuring to each other, "She said it's a private conversation," Ishikki-senpai said, "Yeah, I heard her, what do you think is it about?" Ibusaki asked, "Maybe it's a confession?" Marui asked them, his question makes Sakaki dan Tadokoro made sad faces, Yoshino, who noticed them said "You, idiot, don't say that. Look, what have you done to Sakaki and Tadokoro?" she then punch Marui in the stomach and Marui himself is fall to his knees, "Ugh, I'm so..r..ry," Marui said while touching his stomach, "Why you little ...? There is no way Erina-sama going to talk about something indecent like that, this is a matter regarding the academy's Ten Elite, isn't it Erina-sama?" Arato said while directing her anger to the students who live in the dormitory. "Stop it, Hisako. That's right we're going to talk about the matter regarding the Ten Elite. But in my part I'm going to talk about the problem between us." Nakiri said bluntly, this shocked everyone especially Sakaki and Tadokoro, in Tadokoro's part she was losing her consciosness, then Sakaki finally opening her mouth "What are you going to talk about?", "It's something that I, myself, my grandfather and 'This Guy' know." Nakiri said and made it clear to Souma that no one else need to hear their conversation. Souma slightly surprise by her statement. "I see, that oldman finally opening his mouth to you. What did you do to him, anyway?" Souma said nonchalantly while making a serious face. This seriousness of Souma shocked everyone, because he barely show it aside of the moment he made in _shokugeki_ or anything related to cooking. "I've done nothing to him, I just asked him normally a few days ago." Nakiri said with the same seriousness on her face. "So, that was you, the one who hide herself in the corner near the director's office. What made you concern about it anyway?" Souma said looking directly to Erina's eyes. Because of their lack of information about the problem regarding these two people, they can't keep up with the conversation with Arato and Daimido-dono included. "Daimido-dono, do you know what they are talking about?" ask Sakaki to the dormitory manager, with everyone getting closer to hear her explanation, "I don't know, but it could be regarding the rumour about Yukihira having an exchange programs." Daimido-dono said while stroking her chin. "You're right, with Yukihira didn't talk about it at all is kind of weird but, for Nakiri-san to know about this, it could be very important to the Ten Elite." Yoshino said while putting her hands into her pant's pocket. "That's right, I'm surprise that you noticed me at that time. The only concern for me is that how you directing your attention to something else than your study in this academy. How do you know that I was the one who hide in the corner at that time?" Erina asked with her left hand on her waist, with an unchanged expression Souma answered, "It's wasn't hard with the oldman staring at somewhere behind me and your confirmation. But I never thought that you will confront me directly like this." "From this point, this conversation will go even further, let's take a walk. Excuse me Daimido-dono and the residents of Polar Star Dormitory." Erina said, gesturing her body to make Souma following her going outside. "Ah, Erina-sama please wait for me." Arato said while started to chase Erina, but then Erina turned around to face Arato, "Hisako, this is a private conversation. I will need you to stay in this place for a moment. No one will hear us that way. And you, come with me." Erina said so and Arato then persist to come with her, "But, Erina-sama. For you to go along this guy is an indecent thing to do, isn't it? Please let me come to accompany you to protect you from this guy." Arato said, but Erina said "NO, THIS IS SERIOUS, ARATO!" it was clearly a command for Arato as she was surprised to hear her secondary name from Nakiri's mouth, and the aide didn't want to disappoint her lady, "As you wish, Erina-sama."

With that Nakiri and Souma go by themselves with Nakiri personal car and driver. "Why did Erina-sama so serious about this? And why did she bring him with the car, anyway? What about something happened to her by that shameless, pervert guy? When the time it's happening it will be too late." Arato said in her panicked and disappointed voice. "I need to follow them and find out their discussion," said Arato started to go and follow the car. "Please stop it, Arato-san," Tadokoro said stopping Arato, she then turned around and see that Tadokoro was holding her hand with her own. "Let me go, you little ..." Arato started to spat but Sakaki also started to pull her hand to prevent her going after the pair. "Please, don't go" Tadokoro begging her not to go, "Yes, I think we need those two to settle things by themselves. You can relax here. Besides it was clear that Nakiri is adamant about her command" Sakaki said pulling Arato's hand. "... Huuuuh. Okay, I will try not to chase after them. Such a confusing day. Why would Erina-sama want to talk to him by herself, anyway?" Arato said sighing and started to take a seat on the chair. "As expected, it was very unusual for her acting like that, isn't it? I wonder what happened between them?" Ishikki said, thinking about the prior event. "A few days ago they were bickering to each other with their own natural expressions in their face, to think that they have a bigger conflict between them is unthinkable." Yoshino said, leaning on the wall, "Well, that's true, but I think the most unusual is that Yukihira made that expression," Daimido-dono said reminding the mentioned expression. "Yeah, that's the weird thing. Usually Yukihira will make a relaxed expression even in a serious conversation. I wonder what is it to do in his discussion with the academy's director. Have anyone heard it from Yukihira?" Yoshino said, "No, I don't think so", Sakaki answered, closing her eyes, "Neither do I," said Isshiki-senpai. "I haven't hear a thing from Yukihira or the Nakiri himself." Daimido-dono answered. "Anyone else?" Sakaki asked the others, but in return Marui, Ibusaki dan Tadokoro shook their heads, then they shift their vision to Arato "I don't know about it either," Arato answered their unvoiced questions, then Sakaki asked "Did Nakiri-san didn't say anything on your way to this dormitory?", she take a seat across Nakiri's aide, "As I said before, she didn't mention anything about this in our way here, it's just that she always make that serious face when we mention about Elite Ten Council. I know that Elite Ten is an organization that Erina-sama take seriously, but I never know that she would be this serious." said the pink haired student, "Talking about the Elite Ten Council, didn't you know anything Isshiki-senpai?" Tadokoro asked the Seventh Seat of Elite Ten Council, who answered "Hmmm, as far as I know there is no problem in the Ten Council, beside that, the First and Second Seats of the Elite Ten Council haven't been decided belong to any student, whether it's Nakiri-kun or Yukihira-kun.", "About those positions, is there no solution yet about the most important position in the Elite Ten Council of Tootsuki Academy?" Ibusaki asked, "By so far there is no Second Seat of the Elite Ten, but Nakiri-kun has been acting as the First Seat of the Elite Ten Council, and as her direct rival, Yukihira-kun never present, not even once, in the Elite Ten meeting so far." Isshiki explained in a serious face. "How about Nakiri, has she been acting differently since she took that position?" Marui asked, thinking for a while after that question Hisako said "No, as far as I know, neither in the house nor in classes. But I can see changes in her life since last year's tournament.", "By the last tournament, did you mean the third final in the spring last year between those two?" Sakaki tried to confirm, "Oooooh, what changed about her? Tell me, tell me...!" Yoshino asked forcefully, this made Hisako backing away a little then answered, "Ugh, since that tournament Erina-sama started to go out by herself frequently, leaving me behind and practice on her cooking event harder in more than one occasion.", "Then, could she get a boyfriend then? It's that time of a teenager after all." Daimido tried convince and teased at one time. That comment made Hisako stood up and exploded, "THERE IS NO WAY THAT ERINA-SAMA HAS A BOYFRIEND!", "Whoa, calm down Daimido-dono just teasing you, don't be angry" Sakaki said, trying to calm the pink haired aide down, "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha... I'm sorry about that, it's just that it was unexpected development that I never have in my mind. But if it was the truth, then what should I do? Will she just throw me away and leave me behind by myself. Hu, hu, hu, hu, hu, wa, wa, wa, WAAAAAAAAAAAAA...!", Arato's outburst was a shock for everyone, they never thought that the serious and protective aide will change her expression of anger to such one of a wail. "Oh, please stop it, it's embarassing you know, there are boys here you know," Snapped Yoshino, pointing Arato to Ishikki-senpai, Marui and Ibusaki's direction, "Calm down, okay, Arato-kun?" Ishikki-senpai said trying to calm Arato's wail, "Should we go somewhere else?" asked Ibusaki, pointing himself and Marui. "It's okay, I'm sorry to have this kind of personality. You can stay in this room", Arato said, shedding her tears, Tadokoro then responded to her statement, "It's okay Arato-san, that personality of yours is what Nakiri-san likes about you.", "Thank you, Tadokoro" Arato said, smiling and hugging Tadokoro with a calmed expression and everyone in that room released tired sighs. After a few moment calming herself, Arato then asked them, "How about Yukihira Souma? Has anything different about him lately?" Everyone then saw everybody else and lifted their shoulders with and expression of not knowing, then Sakaki said "We have no idea aside of he often stays in his room for the past few weeks at those times I often hear that he talked to someone else, like a serious business, it seems like he was talking to his father", "As far as I know Yukihira-kun made a little effort in cooking recently", "How do you mean by that? By 'made a little effort in cooking'." asked Arato, then the shy-girl of the group answered "It was like he only used what was in front of him, for example if Daimido-dono take a few ingredients on the kitchen's table which are eggs, beefs, and cucumber, then all he would made dish from are those mentioned ingredients, at the time he wouldn't even open the refridgerator.", "We have no complaints because it was good as always, but the other thing is that he didn't enjoy the cooking process, I don't think he thought about it, he wouldn't even talk when he started to make the dish." Ibusaki said. "Why would we have such a troublesome students, anyway? After he had been through a lot of thing since his transfer." Daimido-dono said, sighing and closing her eyes. Then the Polaris Star's Dormitory was getting noisy by the time.

At tens of minutes prior, Nakiri and Souma were in the limousine enroute to a shopping area in the town, this made Souma quite confused about the route of their journey as he asked "Where are we going, Nakiri?", "It doesn't matter, does it? As long as we can have a good time to settle things." Nakiri said, taking a sip of her hot tea, "We have been here for the last thirty minutes, are we not just getting started?", asked Souma, it's true that the route was confusing, but he is no longer care about it since Nakiri made that statement, "It's here. Please stop the car." Nakiri said as the car is stopped in the entrance of the shopping center, then the both of them got out of the car, "We're going to be fine by ourselves here, please come again later." she said to the driver, hesitantly the driver said, "Is it okay Erina-sama? You know that I, myself isn't really know about that young man, but I also have a job of protecting you.", "As I said before, we're going to be okay, I'm not alone, and if my grandfather or Hisako asked anything, just tell them that I asked you go for a break, I'll be gone for a moment", Nakiri said firmly, then the driver gave up and leave the two of them by themselves to enter the shopping center. "Shall we go, then?" Nakiri asked him, Souma then started to walk ahead of her without saying anything. "You're rather quiet, today, aren't you?", Nakiri said trying to make conversation while walking beside him, looking straight front Souma said, "I have nothing to say, why would I not quiet?", Souma said trying to halt any conversation, this made Nakiri quite not happy, "You really are annoying, aren't you? And here I am talking and walking with you, the least thing that I imagine to do", Nakiri said louder than before, peeking to her side she then said, "Are you not going to say anything even at this point where I know everything about your little scheme in the next... I don't know, weeks? Or months?", still looking at him she can see that he won't say anything, she finally get enough of him and pull his sleeve, surprising him, "What are you doing, Nakiri?", he asked him without any intention of following her of go against her at the moment, "Let's go somewhere where you can never be bored," she said, heard that statement from her, he then responded, "Why do you think I'm bored right now?", "Because you're boring in the first place", She responded back quickly, pulling his sleeve they were going to a movies, "This is a good way to make me feel better", she said with a big smile on her face, seeing this he was deadpanned and asked, "Why do you think that this going to make me feel better?", "Are you deaf or something? I said before that this would make ME better, not you, you idiot.", she said pointing at him and then at her, "So, is it okay for me to go and wait for you out there rather than here?", asked Souma, he then started to go back outside of the movies, but before he can go she pulled his sleeve again before she took her seat and said, "Are you really call yourself a man? What kind of man leaving a lady alone in a crowded place?", "I've never said that I want to see this thing with you, did I?", Souma asked impatiently, pointing to the screen, this made people around the started to shift their attention to the couple, losing her patient and, "JUST BE QUIET AND SIT DOWN, WILL YOU?!", she shouted and pulled him even harder than before making him sit loudly on the nearest chair, this made the surrounding people stopped at their tracks, "Fine...", he said giving up on her to watch the movie, Nakiri then took a seat beside him with an unhappy face, "Can't you do that since the beginning?", she said sighing at the situation without noticing their surrounding started to move again, but this time they take a distance from the couple, made a space of seats surrounding Nakiri and Souma, "This movie is telling a friendly guy who tried to get attention a _tsundere_ girl in his class at the beginning, but their relationship which was not exactly friendly is changing to the other way around as the guy is taking a distance from the girl who then make her effort to bring the guy to his old self, this movie is telling us every effort of that girl, it is a very girly story, isn't it? She makes the best of herself to fight for the guy's affection against the girls in his group." She said while closing her eyes trying to remember the line of story out of _shoujo manga_ she read as she smiled, Souma didn't respond to her making her a little irritated, "You really aren't saying anything about this aren't you? Fine be that way but, don't leave this seat," she said as she started to pay attention to the screen, "..." and Souma was still quiet as he closed his eyes, 'What is this girl thinking?', he thought as he for once peek on Nakiri in a while, 'Sigh, as long as I stay here, it won't be a problem, right?', he said in his mind as he closed his eyes once again, he dozed off on the screening time, Nakiri didn't realize his state at the moment as the movie was getting serious.

"I like you" said the _tsundere_ girl in the movie, as the guy was making a way too ordinary face and started to leave the girl, "Wait, where are you going?" the girl said, without turning his way around to see her face he said, "It's nothing, I'm going home," and he leave her alone in the classroom. This scene reminded Nakiri to her conversation with her grandfather four days prior and found out the secret of the guy beside her to made a move in his study progress, next she took a glance to the guy beside her and saw that he is sleeping, this made her very bad in her heart then she clapped her hands on his cheeks and made a loud sounds and voice, "AW... What the hell was that for?" this guy said, shocked and tried to touch his cheeks with his hands but only found her hands in the end, while gripping her hands he said, "Uugh, I don't know what you're scheming but would you let my face go, it hurts, you know?!", "You deserve it, anyway, this much is obvious", she said removing her hands from his face, "If you wanted to wake me up, you could've just do that in a normal way. Why do you need to use that much force anyway?", he asked as he was rubbing his cheeks, "Look the movie is ending, at least watch this part together, will you?" she said while rubbing her hands to each other, and put them on her chest, "Okay, okay, I've got it, I don't even know the progress of the story," he said, "That's because you were sleeping on that part, don't complain, just be quiet and watch it, it still has a few minutes left," retorted her, then both of them paid attention to the movie.

Thirty minutes after the last moment, and fifteen minutes after the end of the movie Souma and Nakiri were walking out of the movie, with some people were looking at them, this made Nakiri upset and said, "What are you people looking at?", this outburst made people started to walking away from the both of them, "Can we go home now?", asked Souma, this question made Nakiri face him directly, "What? We watched movie as you asked. If that's all I'll be going then.", he said as he walked away from the spot. "Wait", Nakiri said, this made him stopped but still not facing her, "Don't think that I will let you go just like that, you think that I forgot our main problem?", she said as he was still not looking at her, "Your main objective was to make me acknowledge your food, isn't it? And you thought that made you win?", she asked him with a small grin in her face, he then turned around but still not looking at her eyes, then she continued, "If you want to win then you have to make me accept it, why are you acting like you've won from me while our contest is still a draw?", she then put her left hand on her waist and was waiting his answer, "I'm going out of this city" Souma said which infuriated her, "Why are you taking this path?", she asked impatiently, "It doesn't matter isn't it? I've achieved my objective. That is all that matters to me" he said as he lifted his left hand and made it into a fist then he said "I'm going home" with that he made his way home, after he said so she chased him and put her hand to his shoulder which stopped him, "What do you ...", before he finished what he was saying "SLAP", her palm made its way to his face with an angry expression on hers, this action pushed him down on his behind, then she started to say something which go through the darkness, without any care to the people in the shopping center.

A few hours since Yukihira and Erina-sama's leave from the Polar Star's Dormitory, there sat Arato Hisako making a worrying face. "It's been four hours and they still not get back, where are they going?" Hisako said, making the people in the dormitory shifted their attention to her, and Sakaki respond "Maybe they are on their way back right now, Yukihira isn't someone who goes late for something unnecessary, don't worry about it." "Of course I worry about her, especially in her condition right now, we saw that she was more emotional more than ever this afternoon anything bad could be happening." Arato said with concern in her face, this irked Ishikki as he said, "So, you're worrying about Yukihira, then? Wow, I've never thought that everyone would made their attention to him before this.", "Wha... What are you talking about, Senpai? I-I'm not concerning for that guy, he's creepy and that make Erina-sama in dangerous moment when we separated." Arato said unconvincingly, this made Sakaki curious and she said, "Arato-san, are you ..." before she could finish her sentence the front door was opened showing Nakiri and Yukihira entered the room, "Erina-sama, you're back. I've been worried about you, are you okay?" Arato said approaching Nakiri, this made Nakiri a little surprise but she respond, ''Y-yes, I'm okay. For now we'll going home. Thanks you for time everyone." Nakiri made such statement with an unprecedented concern from her and a little irritated emotional condition in her part, "Yes, you're welcome, Nakiri-kun. Are you going home immediately? Why don't you have some dinner for now?", Ishikki-senpai asked her wishing that she would take a little time in the dormitory for a little more time, "..." hearing that offer Nakiri thought about it for a moment and said, "Of course I would like to have a dinner for now even though we had some in our back here." this information registered instantly to the people present in the room, "Oooooh, is that so? In that case, you don't need them anymore, don't you? But why would you have another then?" Isshiki-senpai asked with a jumping heart inside him, this was another question that made other students curious as well, then Erina asked, "Well, I just want to confirm something with a personal request of mine. Is it okay?", this made them all even more wanted to find out. "What kind of request?" Daimido-dono asked her directly, looking at the senior lady Nakiri said, "I want someone to make me a dinner today.", "Who is that someone?" Sakaki finally asked specifically. Waiting for her respond, everyone is hearing their own heartbeat, well, except one "In that case have a good dinner. I'm going to bed." Yukihira said still with a hurting cheek on his face, before Sakaki tried to stop him Nakiri then respond, "Yukihira Souma" this made Yukihira stopped his step but didn't looking at them, "Since this is related to our discussion before, I want you to make me a dinner.", such sentence surprised everyone in the room, "Yukihira make you a dinner? Are you serious?", said Sakaki to Nakiri, "Yes, I am serious." said Nakiri with a deeper voice, then to Yukihira she said, "If you really confident of your skills then you don't need to worry, aren't you? Yukihira Souma?", she said his full name without any intention of stopping, "Discussion? What were you talking about?" Yoshino asked Nakiri, "It's none of you all's business. So, just get started. Yukihira Souma." Nakiri said urging Yukihira to make her a dinner, "...", Yukihira this time looking at her eyes but without any intention of making a voice, "Are you scared?", Nakiri said tried to rile him up. "Sigh, okay, okay. Girl, you are persistent." Yukihira said giving up to her and lifting both of his hands with a sigh, this made Nakiri smiled and said "Of course, I am. I am a girl, aren't I?", "Just take your seat there, I'll bring it up right away." Yukihira said with a small grin on his face, and go to the kitchen to get started, this change made Arato wonder, "What was that, Sakaki? What is going on?", Arato asked to the black-haired girl to find out, with a shake of her head, Sakaki answered, "I don't know but..." as she started to trailed, Arato wanted to be more sure, she pushed even more "But, what?", "He... Yukihira is making dinner with all he's got, it's a rare opportunity to see this." she said with a little sadness on her eyes, this make Arato confused and said, "Well, of course. For Erina-sama, it would be a bad dish to make it with a half-hearted effort, wouldn't it?", "No, this really is a rare event." suddenly Tadokoro said, making Arato a little shaken, but Tadokoro said even more, "You see when Yukihira-kun was making a dish with a limited number of ingredients he still made a very good one, for example you remember that first final last year, right?" asked for her confirmation Arato said, "Of course I remember, it was the best food that could compete with Erina-sama's food, what about it?", Sakaki said then to answer her, "Whether you believe it or not, the dish that mentioned by Megumi was even better than that final dish." Surprised, Arato wasn't believe it, "You're kidding, right? I mean, sure it is quite some time after that final, but he didn't make a real effort about making dish previously, right? How could he do that?", "Because at that moment the academy's director was here to talk with him about something as he made the dish that Megumi mentioned before." Sakaki said so surely, "WHAAAAAAT? Erina-sama's grandfather was the one who tasted it? Is it true?" Arato asked the Seventh Seat of the Elite Ten, changing his view to his junior Isshiki said, "Hmmm, well that's true. I can't believe it either, but he surely said 'I've never tasted anything as good as this one, What did you do in your days off, Yukihira Souma?', that meant that it was very good, wasn't it?", hearing that Arato said, "I can't believe it. But it was a while ago, right?", "Well, we should be hear Nakiri's opinion about it then", as Yoshino said that, Yukihira said confidently, "It's ready", "Then let me have it", she said so with her hands took chopsticks to taste the Furikake Gohan, seeing the dish she smiled and said, "You haven't changed at all, aren't you? Looking at this dish, reminding me to our first meeting", "Of course, I haven't changed and in our first meeting, you said that it was bad, so I want to hear your honest opinion this time", He said with a confident smile on his face "..." she said nothing as she took the first taste of Furikake Gohan and the next ones to the point of emptying the bowl. As she finished she said "Thanks for the food", "So, what do you say about it?", Souma asked with an expectant smile on his face, she put the chopstick and said, "It was bad", this surprised Yukihira as he was deadpanned, as the others come and said, "That's impossible, let me taste it" Sakaki said, then Tadokoro also said, "Yes, I'd like to taste it too", "Let me have it" shout Yoshino to them and then so are Isshiki-senpai, Marui and Ibusaki and even Daimido-dono also came to take a taste of it. But Arato then said, "See, Erina-sama said it was bad, so whoever said it was good then it's not good enough, isn't it Erina-sama?" she then took a look at Nakiri, but Nakiri shifted her eyes from Arato to turn her back at them all making Arato confused of her behaviour, "IT'S GOOD", everyone else said, Sakaki, Marui, Tadokoro, Yoshino and Daimido-dono tried to asked her honest opinion, "But..." Nakiri started to say something as she took a look at Yukihira Souma, waking him up from his condition to a good listener and observer, "... Let me eat it again next time." she said then took her leave from the spot, her words made Yukihira smiled widely and said, "Of course, I will, till you said it honestly. I'll see you guys tomorrow", as he also took the stairs to go to his bed, hearing this Arato then chased Nakiri and said, "What do you by that, Erina-sama? Wait for me, Erina-sama!". Minutes after that event Daimido-dono said, "What do you know? The _tsundere_ 'God's Palate' has her own weakness, isn't she?", "Yes, she is. I've never thought that it was to this level Yukihira-kun made her changed" Isshiki-senpai said. Then Sakaki, Marui, Tadokoro, Yoshino truly took that event to their heart, exceptionally to the first and the second last, "With a good dessert let's end it all tonight, I'll going to bed. Sweet dreams, everyone" Isshiki-senpai said as he also took the stairs to go to his bedroom, "Good night, everyone", "Sweet dreams", "Good evening, everybody", "Night, guys", "See you tomorrow", each of every student said their greetings and took their rest leaving Daimido-dono in her thought, "Good night", she said turning off the lights.

Monday, Three days later, "Well, with the absent of the First Seat of the Elite Ten in front of us today I, myself as the Second Seat of the Elite Ten will take the charge of our timeline in the next one week trip to Osaka, everyone please cooperate with us." Nakiri said to close the ceremonial opening of the academy trip, then everyone respond with a big applause. "What did she mean by 'Second Seat of the Elite Ten'? She used to take the First Seat's job in the prior months wasn't she?", one of the students said to her fellow classmates, then the other said, "I guess she did, I mean we didn't even know who the First Seat in the first place, but even if that person made an appearance, she would even stand out than that person", "Yeah, you're right and then that person would even resign of the First Seat of the Elite Ten, right?!", "Yeah, of course you're right", after that discussion the laughter is being heard here and there, Nakiri continue "Even everything that's been happen in this recent time, the First Seat of the Elite Ten has a message for everyone in this academy as the following 'I'm a useless person in organizing 812 students of Tootsuki Academy, but we have the best students on the stage in taking care of that. Don't worry about anything else, let's just have some fun to fulfill our youth, other than that I will take care of it myself. Personally written by the First Seat of the Elite Ten of Tootsuki Academy.' that's all that he said.", "Ugh, it sounds like we have a carefree First Seat of the Ten Elite this time, I wonder if this would be okay?" a student said worriedly, then the other said, "Don't worry, if he said so than it would be okay, now let's move onto the next schedule", Nakiri was still continuing the speech "As the message of the First Seat of the Elite Ten mentioned before that the nine of us will be fully support the students to make a progress in the academy trip, the first step in the timeline is ...". The first step was a schedule of every class of taking the trip way out of the city, this year instead of Osaka, they were going to Kyoto where rather than exploring the progressing the skills of the students they are trying to push the second year students to find out they're own identity.

While everyone was ready to go, Souma himself was still in his room to take care of a few things he left before, "This is gonna be my last day in this dorm, isn't it?" he said smiling and looking at the room he had been in for the last nine months, "To think about it, it's been a long journey since that time", he said while reminiscing every moment of his life in the dorm , everything that include him and his friends and Daimido-dono , smiling at those memories he then exit the room and put the key under the rose pot in the corridor in front of his room's door, then proceeding to exit the dormitory, at the lounge he saw Daimido-dono was reading the magazine, "Hey, Daimido-dono, what are you doing?", he said to make Daimido-dono noticed his presence, seeing to his direction, Daimido-dono said, "Hey there, Yukihira. So this is it, isn't it?", "Yeah, it is", he responded to her, she then closed the magazine and faced him, "It's here, the academy trip. It's supposed to be exciting, are you got yourself excited, Yukihira?" she asked expecting a cheerful reaction from him, knowing this he then said, "Of course, Daimido-dono, I can't wait to taste the air of Kyoto. I hope this won't be too quick to end", "Is that so? Well then good luck to you and the others, while you're at it you need to explore the city. Enjoy yourself. Oh, one more thing" she said to see more of his features and smiled, "What is it, Daimido-dono?" Souma said, waiting for her next words, then she said "Give Nakiri Erina my regards", "Of course, I'll mention it to her when I see next time. Good bye, Daimido-dono" He said bringing his baggage outside through the front door then closed it. "I wonder if he really understand what I said by 'regards'" She said while watching Souma going to the academy through the window, "Well, if he don't, he will surely find out in this trip" she said, closing the window.

On the hills, Souma was walking through the only road towards the Academy main building, this road was refreshing as it's always been, Souma was inhaling as much as possible the fresh air, "Hmmmmmmmmm, it's always been a good weather, I'm glad to have the chance of knowing this place", then he take his phone from his pants pocket and saw that it's 10 A.M., "Oh, I've got to hurry, If I don't I will miss them again", as he said that he fasten his step. After a few minutes of walking he heard a car approaching him, and he turned his head to see his right side finding a car stopping right there, "..." he said nothing as he saw the car. A few moments after looking at the car he saw the windows was going down, "Yukihira Souma" said the person inside the car, it was Nakiri Senzaemon, as he realized that it was the Tootsuki Academy's Director he said his greeting, "Good day to you, sir. Is there anything you need?", hearing that from the young man, Nakiri-dono then said, "No, I have nothing like that. But are you going to the trip that scheduled for the rest of the week?", "Yes, sir. I'm sorry for a rude gesture, but I'm afraid that I need to go there as soon as possible, it's been past the meeting time" Souma said as he then started to walk again to the destination. "Wait for a minute, Yukihira Souma" said Nakiri-dono to him, this made Souma stopped on his track, "I'm afraid to say that the meeting is done and you seems to be the one left behind", he said to Souma, this shocked Souma as he fell on his knees "For a First Seat of the Elite Ten show this kind of behavior is the first time in the history of the Academy Council, this is interesting", said Nakiri smiling at him, then Souma stand up and look back at the director, "I'm sorry for this personality of mine, Nakiri-dono, if it's the case then I would go back to the dorm, now if you're excuse me", Souma said as he bow to the older man and go straight to the dorm direction with a slumped shoulder, "As I said before wait a minute Yukihira Souma", the director said to made him stopped once again, turning around Souma said, "Yes, sir?", "Why don't you go with me for a moment? Come onto the car", he said as he open the car, this made Souma confused but he got in the car with his baggage in the back of the car itself. "If I may know where are we going, sir?" Souma said after settling himself on the chair. "We're going to see my granddaughters", Nakiri-dono said as he put his hands on his chest looking at Souma, "Didn't they go to Kyoto for the academy's trip?" Souma asked for his confirmation, then Nakiri-dono responded to him, "They are going alone than along the rest of the students, Erina prefered to take the trip by herself and Alice prefer to stay with her cousin but Arato and Kurokiba went with the other students. With you, you three will go to Kyoto", "Hmmm, it seems very like those cousins. Is it okay for me to go with them? I don't want to make a fuse", asked Souma stroking his chin. "It's no issue, they could use some company", Nakiri-dono said looking at him, "Why is that?" Souma asked confusingly, Nakiri-dono who pick up a cup of a tea answered him, "Because I said so", startled, Souma said, "O, ooh, I see, I understand", "By the way, Yukihira Souma", Nakiri-dono said seriously, this made Souma take a serious face too, "Yes, sir?" he said, "In the end, will you not change your decision?", asked Nakiri-dono, thinking about it for a moment Souma then said, "... No, sir. This time I'm quite adamant about it", "So, in this academy, with Erina who is the only one capable to compete with you for the First Seat of the Elite Ten, is not satisfactory?", asked Nakiri-dono while taking a sip on his hot tea, waiting for him to drink his tea, Souma said "No, this is not about satisfactory cause or anything else related to the organization", "What is it about, then?" asked Nakiri-dono after he put his cup on the table, "This is about a goal", Souma respond to him looking straight to director's eyes, hearing this the director then asked "What kind of goal that required something more than a competition", "Well, a competition is a good way to push students to do more, but it's not enough for me, sir", "What kind of goal do you have in mind, Yukihira Souma?", Nakiri asked curiously, with a smile Souma respond,"My goal in this academy was, as you know, to make Nakiri Erina acknowledge my dish, as for the present goal that I have is to defeat my father in cooking competition", knowing his father, Nakiri-dono realized that it's still a big dream to have, "So, the only thing you have in mind is being the same level as your father. I know that your father wasn't even capable of achieving the First Seat of the Elite Ten in the past, but I know that having a big goal is a good thing, but why to this far?" Nakiri-dono said, stroking his beard, Souma, with a nostalgic smile said, "Because I always am the one who make the challenge and I want to achieve it, but the main point is my old man's recognition of my dish, since I was little my old man is a goal and my only teacher in cooking and students' job is to surpass his teacher", "Is that so? Then there is nothing I have to stop you, then", Nakiri-dono said with a stoic face and realized that the car was stopping "Ah, here we are, they're waiting for us", then the driver opened the door to let the both of them out of the car.

A few moments prior, in front of the academy building Nakiri Erina and Nakiri Alice was waiting for their grandfather to arrive, they were chatting to each other, "Because you're one of the Elite Ten, aren't you supposed to go with the other students, Erina?" asked Alice to her cousin, a little irritated by her cousin Erina then respond, "You're the same as of that. Why are you here anyway?", "Well, I don't want to go separate ways with my cousin, that's why I'm here right now", Alice said teasing her a little, "You are pretty much settled in the Elite Ten, are you? Don't underestimate our job in this constitution, a carefree attitude won't cut for it", Erina Said scolding Alice harshly, with a pout Alice said "Hmmm, don't say that, just relaxed on taking care of that in this trip besides, aren't Yukihira-kun is very carefree and relaxed person, even though he's a member of the Elite Ten Council?", "That person isn't relaxed person, he's not doing his job at all, don't make him an example in Elite Ten", Erina said with an unhappy expression and voice, "Even if he is the First Seat?" Alice trying to convinced her again, "Even if he IS the First Seat of the Ten Elite Council, why did we have to talk about him, anyway? And he seems to be not coming to the trip, what an irresponsible person" Erina said with a higher voice in her part, Alice then switched to a serious state asking her, "So, what do you know about his rumor of exchange program?", this question made Erina caught off guard as she said "What made you think that I know anything about it?", then Alice was smiling widely at her cousin, this made Erina a little worried and said, "What is it? Why are you smiling?", "Because I saw you ..." she started to say but then they saw that the car they were waiting for was here, and Alice said, "Oh, look grandfather is here, let's go meet him" and they went to approach him as he go out of the car with an unexpected guest, "What?" Erina said, seeing him with their grandfather.

Getting out of the car, Souma saw the cousins approaching the both of them and said "Hey you two how is it going?", "What are you doing with grandfather? And What are you doing by still being here? Aren't you supposed to go stay here not going to the trip?", she asked him impatiently, "Oh, come on, Erina stop it, grandfather is here too", Nakiri Alice said making her cousin glaring at her as the both of them now looking at the grandfather rather than the student, "So, what is this about, grandfather?" Nakiri Alice asked the director, smiling at them the director said "The three of you will go to Kyoto together because the rest of the students have gone with on the bus scheduled for this event", "Are you serious grandfather? Why are we supposed to go there with this person? I've had enough with Alice, but with this guy? I think I'll pass the trip" Nakiri Erina said while turning back, going back to the Academy, Nakiri Alice then said "Ooooh, some words for someone who responsible in organizing the entire second year. Leaving them all on the others' hands is a well done job", "Nakiri Erina I won't stop you not coming to the trip, but think about yourself and your studies, this trip is a part of it after all" Nakiri-dono said seriously, this made Nakiri Erina think about it once again, "Yes, grandfather I understand" she said with a sigh, Nakiri-dono with a smile then said "Good, I'll let you take your leave then, and Alice", he called out to the cousin, "Yes, grandfather?", she said with a curious face, Nakiri-dono then said, "Please look out for them, especially your cousin", smiling and looking back at the other two Alice then said, "Fu fu fu fu, don't worry grandfather, now we will take our leave then", "See you next time, grandfather", "Good bye, Nakiri-dono", the three of them said their good byes, and took the car to leave the academy, "I hope this trip will change your mind, Yukihira Souma" he said with an expecting look, after they are no longer in his sight Nakiri-dono turned around to go to the academy with a smile.

A few minutes later, in the car, sat the three top students of Tootsuki Academy. Yukihira Souma, Nakiri Erina and her cousin Nakiri Alice. Silence has been keeping them in their seats with an unrelaxed gesture, Souma was sitting in front of the girls, the girls were sitting beside each other, well for the Second Seat of the Council. "Oh, this silence is really make me uneasy. By the way, Yukihira-kun" Nakiri's cousin said making Souma's attention shifted to her. "Hmm, what is it, Nakiri's cousin?" said Souma trying to remember her name, this made Nakiri's cousin to make a pout on her face, "Muuuuu, it's Alice. My name is Alice and I'm Nakiri too. Don't make a confusing nicknames for me", "Sorry about that, it's just that I always call my friends with their family names, but I don't think that it was so confusing", Souma said with a smile on his face, this made a curious expression on her face and asked, "Why do you think that it's not confusing people?", "Because I've never talked about you two in front of my other friends or acquaintances", said Souma as the matter of the factly, his statement made her even more curious, "Why is that?", she asked, thinking about it for a while he then said, "Hmmmm, I'm not sure but we never talked too much to each other recently aside of your cousin about anything but cooking", his words made her to push him a little harder in words "So you want to know anything else about us aside of our cooking activities?", "No, not really, what made you two interesting are your culinary skills rather than personal matters", rejected Souma to her question, "In that case, can I asked you a personal matter?", she asked him which made him smiled and answered, "Yeah, sure, shoot", Nakiri Erina then got curious about other Nakiri next words to made her quiet interested, then Nakiri Alice said "Is it true that you're going to take an exchange students program?", this question made Nakiri Erina turned her head to her cousin who was smiling at the young man, then she also took a look at the said young man, who was smiling at her cousin and open his mouth, "Why do you want to know about that?", "Well, honestly speaking, I just want to know about it, in details if I could", she said lifting her hand and opening her palm then close it again, "So what do you say? Is it true?", she said trying to make him talk, with an apologetic smile he said, "If I told you, you won't tell anybody?", curiosity was getting over her and answered, "Of course this is a matter of both the council and student's private rights after all", "It doesn't sound convincing to me, are you really not going to tell anyone?", Souma said unconvinced, this made her a little upset, "Why are you so secretive about this? Even though you told Erina before", she said making Souma and Nakiri Erina surprised and then Souma looking at the other Nakiri with a frown and said, "Did you tell her anything?", "No, I didn't, and Alice. How did you know anything about me knowing something about this matter?" said Nakiri Erina with a quite upset expression, "Because I saw you," Nakiri Alice said looking straight to Nakiri Erina "talking to our grandfather a few days back", she continued her sentence, this made Nakiri Erina confused "Why do you think that we were talking about this guy?" Nakiri Erina said pointing to Souma, "The first time I saw you and grandfather, I was not so sure that you were talking about him, but the other event had me convinced that you were talking about Yukihira-kun", Nakiri Alice said as she took a sip on her tea, "What do you mean by 'other event?", this time, looking at her cousin Nakiri Alice said, "On Friday, I saw you to have a date to see a movie", this made her a little anxious and made Souma making a sigh as he said, "I knew it that event would cause something", "What made you thought of that?" Nakiri Erina said looking at him with an irritated face, "Don't make that face to me, it's your fault not mine", said Souma with a frown as he closed his eyes, "Well, what made you thought of that, Yukihira-kun?", Nakiri Alice asked him as she try stopped her cousin arguing with him, "There was no way that arguments and slap won't get any attention from people, besides ...", he said making an eye contact with the cheerful girl, "I saw you in the shopping center at the time buying a few clothes, I'm not sure if Kurokiba was with you or not but it was definitely you" he said turning his eyes to the scenery of the side of road, "That date weren't a good one, I see that, but furthermore you have a good observation skill. At that time I sent Ryou home before I went tailing on you two", she said smiling at him, with her palm on her cheek, "It wasn't a date, Alice, I just need a room of privacy out of friends and acquaintances, so the public space was the best choice", Erina said explaining her reason of took him a ride to the movies, "From that event I convinced that what Erina wasn't happy with your decision Yukihira-kun, for your rival made an unexpected movement is really hard to take, after al. So, are you going to tell me or what?", she asked once again, "It you'd not tell anyone, I have no complain", Souma said trying to make an agreement with the curious Nakiri, then she sigh "Huuuuh, okay I won't tell anyone. Then spill it", she said making a good posture of listening, seeing her okay with his condition then he said, "Okay, I'll be honest, I'm going to have an exchange students program", "Hmmmm, so that's the truth about the rumor", she said stroking her chin, then she take a peek at her cousin and see that the other Nakiri is very not happy about this decision, "When is the you exchange student program starting and where are you going?", "Honestly, speaking I was going to follow my old man to U. S. A. but then again, I want to take a different path from him", he said with a closed eyes and folding hands, hearing this Nakiri Alice then asked, "So when and where are you going?", "I'm going to Canada next week", this stunned the girls and Nakiri Erina then said, "WHAT? Didn't you say that the time is next one or two months? Did you lie to me, Yukihira Souma?", being too upset Nakiri Erina was standing in front of them. "Time is keep moving, Yukihira-kun" said Alice with a frown, "Are you sure it would be good to take it so fast? Isn't there any period to take that programs?", "Well, to be true it's not exactly an exchange program. I just accepting their invitation to work there, with an offer of giving me a professional certificate, so I won't be expelled out of the academy" he explain to the sitting Nakiri, hearing this Nakiri Erina wasn't happy, "Are you ignoring me, Yukihira Souma? Answer me!", said her, this made Souma take his attention to her once again, "I didn't lie to you, it's just that there was a change in the agreement with the employer group, saying that they want me as soon as possible, so I decided to go there next week after the academy trip", he explained to the hotheaded Nakiri as she said "But still you lied to me by saying to me today", "Is there no chance of changing your decision to have this program, Yukihira Souma?", asked Nakiri Alice to him which made him to look at her and said, "I'm afraid no", then Nakiri Erina slapped him on his face making his face red, this action made both Nakiri Alice and Souma surprised of it,"Whoa, calm down Erina, it's his decision to do so, let's appreciate it a little", Nakiri Alice said restraining her cousin by holding the arms with hers, "Are you okay, Yukihira Souma?" she asked the boy, as he rubbed his cheek and lean on the chair, "I'm okay, don't worry about me, this isn't the first time she slapped me right on my face", "You deserve it", Nakiri Erina said with her body slumped on the chair as her cousin took her there, "What made you so upset about this, Nakiri?", Souma asked the angry Nakiri, who then giving him a piercing look, "What do you think I am?", she then asked him which made him confused as he answer, "A friend and a rival?", "So, you just leave your rival in the dust after you defeat her?" she asked still with a piercing look, but this made Alice understood about her cousin, 'I see, he would make a bigger block in her growth, but the most important thing is that she ...", Alice thought as Souma said "Of course not, but that is just that you're no longer my goal , Nakiri", Souma said while looking at the long-haired Nakiri "You are my greatest rival that I could possibly find, I'm not regretting anything between us which pushed each other to the highest level in the academy. But with this goal accomplished, nothing chained me anymore and I need to move on" he said with a smile, but this didn't change Nakiri Erina's mood as she said "You a runaway kind of man are you? Leaving someone when you have a mark on that person's memory", trying to stop the argument between them Alice said, "Aside of us three, is there anyone else know about this? I mean aside of me, Erina and our grandfather", "Hmmmm, my friends in the dorm don't know anything about this, the first one to know is, of course, the director, the next one is your cousin and then the last is you" Souma said while trying to remember the one he told about the matter folding his arms on his chest, "How about the Elite Ten and the staff? They are a significant part of the academy." asked Nakiri Alice to him, thinking about it once again Souma said, "I'm not sure if the director or your cousin is still keeping their lips closed, but I didn't tell them either", "Did you tell them, Erina?" Nakiri Alice asked her cousin, Nakiri Erina then looking at Souma and said, "No, I didn't tell them", "Did you tell your aide, then?", asked Nakiri Alice once again which made the long-haired Nakiri angry and shouted "NO, I DIDN'T TELL ANYONE", but this didn't convince the mischievous Nakiri as she asked her again, "Are you sure?", "AS I SAID BEFORE, I DIDN'T TELL ANYONE AND STOP ASKING THAT ALREADY", she shouted again to her cousin as she shifted her view to her to the person beside her, this made the other Nakiri sigh and said, "Huuf, you don't need to make a loud voice, you know? I get it, I just wanted to be sure", "You made me do it with your persistence, I hate that part of you", Nakiri Erina said quietly as she turned her head to the window. "Speaking of which, where are we going right now? There is no way we're going to Kyoto with car, is there somewhere we can get another transport to go there?" Souma asked the cousins to stop their argument and change their focus out of each other. "We're going to the Nakiri Residence to get on the transport" Alice said to while pointing at the mentioned place, "We're going to Kyoto by Nakiri personal airplane", she said to Souma, "Hmmmmm, is that so?", he asked as he take a look at the place, "You're so lucky to have a lift on the Nakiri's transport, if this is a normal situation you'd need a commercial transport, just be thankful, Yukihira Souma", Nakiri Erina said to him, he then looking at her for a while, "...", "What is it? Do you have something to say?", The hothead Nakiri asked, to interrupted their conversation Nakiri Alice then said to tease both her cousin and Yukihira, "Did you fall in love with her, Yukihira-kun?", asked her as she made her cousin shocked, "What are you asking so suddenly, Alice?", Nakiri Erina said anxiously, hearing this Nakiri Alice ignored her and keep asking the young man, "So did you, Yukihira-kun?", she was expecting a certain answer out of Yukihira, hearing that question again, Yukihira said, "... No, that's not it", his answer then made Nakiri Alice more curious which made her say, "What is it?", "It's just that... it was very rare opportunity for your cousin to say my name so frequently, so it just bothers me a little", he said pointing at the long haired Nakiri, "Why did you think of that?", the cheerful Nakiri asked, "She seems to be hating me, because she never say my name until now unless there are a certain situation like talking to the director, but this time she said it so many times that I lost my count", Souma said thinking about it again, hearing this Nakiri Alice smiled and asked her cousin, "Is that so? Then Erina, what changed your mind?" to her anxious cousin who looking at the scenery, "I ..." before finishing her sentence then the car is stopped and Souma said, "We're here, let's go then", "Yes, your right, let's get moving", Nakiri Alice said as she take one last look at her cousin, then the both of them come out of the car following the young man to take the airplane going to Kyoto immediately.


	2. Nowhere

_Shokugeki no Souma_ isn't my personal property. All rights reserved to the _mangaka_ and the publisher.

"Who are you, people?", asked Souma to his surrounding.

""""""""""EH?"""""""""", everyone around him shocked.

"Y-y-y-you don't remember us, Souma-kun?" Isshiki-senpai asked and shook his body by his shoulders.

"Are you serious? Souma-kun you don't remember us?" asked Sakaki with anxiety in her voice.

"You're not kidding, are you, Yukihira Souma?" asked Yoshino, forcefully replaced Isshiki's part on shaking Souma's shoulder.

"A-a-a-a-a, s-s-s-seriously, stooooop shaking me, people." Pleaded Souma by some efforts in making her releasing his shoulder.

Hayama then made his entrance to the patient room, then greet everyone in it.

"Everyone, what's going on?" Hayama asked everyone in the room while closing in the bed where Souma was lying down.

"Hayama-san, we have a situation here. Souma-kun has an Amnesia." Tadokoro told Hayama.

"Amnesia? How could this even happened?" Hayama asked them with a confusion expression on his face, he made his view to Isshiki-senpai who was still has damage he got from Yoshino.

"Ouch... We have no idea. We came here because there was a contact to Tootsuki Academy about a hospitalized student. And here we are found out that it was Souma-kun." Isshiki-senpai said to Hayama as he rubbed his back.

"By the way who told you that, senpai?" Sakaki asked the elder student, tried to help him on his feet.

"It was Arato who called me earlier. She told me that someone in this hospital even though she didn't know who it was before she came here." Isshiki said still rubbing his back.

"And she... Where is she now?" Asked Yoshino to the former 7th seat of the Ten Elite as she removing herself from Yukihira Souma's side.

"Arato went out after she saw Souma-kun sleeping on the bed, I don't know where to, though." Isshiki said setting his sight to the sleeping student.

"Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz." Souma was sleeping as they were, sweat dropping, seeing him there, discussing his situation.

"How could you sleep at this kind of moment, Y-U-K-I-H-I-R-A?" Yoshino, with her hand gesture of squeeze, stepping forward to the red-haired boy.

"Stop it, Yuuki. Yukihira-kun is resting." Sakaki stopped and pulled Yoshino back before she reach him on his bed.

"By his look at the moment, resting. He has been going through in the last few hours, I guess. We better go out without making any disturbance." Hayama said, suggesting everyone as he went out by the door and the rest is following him after nodding their head.

"Everyone!", Arato said as she walking to them.

"Arato-san, where have you been?", Tadokoro asked her as she and the girls took the seats nearby.

"I went to the Alumnus to tell them that Yukihira-kun was hospitalized. Soon, they'll be here." She said by taking a phone out.

"Who are you about to call? And who are you trying to call with that phone? It's Yukihira-kun's phone, isn't it?" Sakaki said with a little haste in her voice.

"Well, yes, this is his phone, the nurse took his bag and gave it to me." Arato said while trying to check the patient's phone.

"Wait a minute, Arato-san!" Shrieked Tadokoro, putting her two palms in front of Arato.

"Hmmm, what is it, Tadokoro-san?" Asked Nakiri's aide to desperate student in front of her as she couldn't see the screen.

"Arato-san, mobile phones, especially an adolescent's is a private thing that no one expected to be seen. Yukihira-kun wouldn't approve your conduct." Tadokoro said trying to stop the pink-haired student's effort.

"Oh, it's okay, I have Yukihira-kun's permission in checking this phone." Arato said as she still checking the mobile phone.

"Why is that?" This time Sakaki questioned her statement.

"A few months back Yukihira-kun got another phone for an emergency moment. Just like this moment. So, it's okay, anyone who has his permission is okay to check it." Arato said as she checked the messages and contact list in the phone.

"Is that so? If I'm not mistaken, he has his own phone for his own use, right?" Asked Hayama to the Nakiri's aide. She nodded, not moving her sight from the screen.

"Where is that Yukihira's private phone, then?" Hayama asked, trying to find out the device condition.

"As far as I know, this is the only one in the bag. I asked the nurse and doctor, but they don't know where it is, now." Arato said as she found something the phone.

"Look!" Arato shrieked, showing the phone display to everyone.

"It's the contact list. There's none but Academy Staffs in it." Yoshino said as she and everyone took a look of the phone.

"Hisako!" Someone called her name out and Arato shift her sight to her master. A honey-blond-haired girl in a Tootsuki Academy uniform, it's Nakiri Erina.

"Erina-sama!" Arato greeted her master, as Nakiri closing in on the students.

"Everyone is also here. What's the occasion?" Nakiri asked everyone, as she took a look at everyone, but she realized that someone was missing.

"... Where is Yukihira-kun?" She asked everyone, this made everyone made a quite uncomfortable face. Some quiet moment to be held, then someone else was approaching them.

"Erina! Why did you leave me behind?" Nakiri Alice making her steps to the rest of the students, and shifted Nakiri's head to her.

"You were too late, Alice." Nakiri said to her cousin as she crossed her arms together.

"Of course, I was late, as I was the one who did the administration part of hospitalized student." Nakiri's cousin said, then she also took a look at everyone on the spot and found the concerned party to the mentioned student.

"Everyone!. Good morning. What's with those face? And who's got hospitalized?" She greet and asked everyone about the sleeping patient inside the room. This made Nakiri quite a response, but Nakiri ignored her and went to the door and opened it, with her cousin following her. Everyone is still silent at the moment.

"Excuse us." Nakiri's cousin said as both of them went and approach the bed to see the sleeping patient. This moment made a change on their faces.

""..."" Nakiris took a look at the patient.

"Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz" Yukihira Souma was still sleeping, he made a few movement on the bed, but still in his good rest.

""..."" They still have no words for the resting boy, but making their way to the door, leaving him in his dream.

The cousins still quiet as they make their way to the previous spot.

"Ah, Erina-sama. How is he? Is he still asleep?" Arato asked her master as she standing up.

"How's his condition, Hisako?" Nakiri asked her aide with a stern voice.

"He is okay for now, but he has an amnesia. He didn't recognize us when he still opened his eyes." Tadokoro, stood up, responded to Nakiri's question instead of Arato.

"Amnesia?" Nakiri's cousin, Alice was making a blank face.

"Yes, Nakiri-kun, Amnesia. We tried to asked him in a, somewhat, forced-way but still he didn't have anything on us." Remarked Isshiki-senpai to them.

"Have you reported this incident to the Academy board?" Nakiri asked her senior.

"No, we haven't, I thought Arato can do that with Souma-kun's mobile phone.", Isshiki said as he pointed his finger to the mentioned phone. This made Nakiri's cousin made her way to Arato and took the phone off the aide's hand.

"Ah, wait a minute, Alice-sama!" Arato shouted to her master's cousin, but to no avail, being ignored by the latter.

Nakiri Alice was typing on the phone and put it on her ear, as she spoke.

"Good morning, dear grandfather.""No, it's me, Alice, this isn't Yukihira Souma-kun.""Yes, he's not available at the moment." She said as her tone went down.

"Yukihira-kun was the one who got hospitalized." Before and after this remark, silence made its way to the conversation.

"..." Everyone was in the same state as the speaker.

"Yes, grandfather, we understand. I will tell the same to everyone here." She continued the silver-haired Nakiri the hanged up the call.

"What did he say, Alice?" Nakiri asked her cousin.

"He said that we have to go back to the Academy's program and let him do the rest." The now-not-so-playful Nakiri announce her grandfather's order.

"What? We can't just leave him here by himself." Yoshino

"I'll stay with him." Isshiki then proposed himself to watch over the not-so-well boy in the room.

"No, all of you should go back to the camp." Said someone who just made an appearance in the hall as he stepped forward to the group.

It was Dojima Gin, the Tootsuki Academy Alumnus, who made an impression on the students beforehand.

"""""Doujima-san!""""" Some of the student make a loud remark about the elder person.

"I've heard the situation about Yukihira from the Director. You people should've had your hands full of the camp, let the elders take this one off your active list." He said as he pull his hand, open his palm and make a fist of it, with his eyes on it. Then he put his hand in his pants pocket, smiling to the group.

"By the way, Are you people, the only ones in this place after Yukihira news?" Asked Doujima-san to the students.

As they have no idea about anyone else that could made an appearance concerning the patient, Isshiki-senpai answered,"No, we're the only ones here, the staff aren't here, yet."

"Is that so? Hmmmm..." Doujima wondered as he put his fingers on his chin. Seeing this reaction of the former student of Tootsuki, made them wondering.

"Are we expecting someone, Doujima-san?" Hayama asked him.

"Well, yes, he should've been he..."

Without Doujima completing his sentence someone else made an entrance trough the elevator.

"As I thought, I should've took the taxi, not a walk going to a place this far. What a bad luck." Yukihira Jouichirou made a walk to the group as he saw Doujima he fasten his step and greet the group.

"Hey, people. So many of you here. I never thought Souma's this popular." He said to everyone on the hall.

"..." Nakiri cousins, Hayama and Arato take a moment to see this person more closely.

"Saiba-sama?" Nakiri made her first word to the elder Yukihira.

"Hmmm, ooh little Nakiri has grown up, it's good to see you again." Jouichirou said as he waved his hand to the one of Tootsuki top cooks.

"Eh, you know this person, Erina?" Nakiri's cousin asked Nakiri in a confused state of mind.

Before Nakiri could answer her question, the other student stepped forward to greet the medium-long haired man.

"Yukihira-san, it's been a while." Isshiki-senpai greeted the former student and shook his hand.

"Yukihira-san, it's good to see you." Sakaki then greet him too.

"Good to see you again." Yoshino and Tadokoro greet him at one moment.

"Great to see you again, kids. But that aside, how's Souma holding?" Jouichirou asked them about his son's condition.

"It's not good, Yukihira-san. He has drained his body, and suffering amnesia, He's sleeping right now." Isshiki said informing the elder Yukihira.

"I'll go and see him." Jouichirou said, getting a nod from The Polar Dorm Star inhabitant. He then made his way to the door and enter the room.

In the room he could see his son were sleeping tight on the bed. He then saw that there's nothing wrong in the son's physical appearance. Then he turned around and exited the room approaching the group one more time.

The group was still there waiting for him, so he came and asked them "What happened?"

The group then hesitant for a moment, and it was clear to Jouichirou about their state at the moment. But then Sakaki approached him and told him, "Yukihira-kun has been like this since this morning. We were having our own preparation of the camp before the breakfast, but in a few hours before we begin the camp we have no sighting of him. But, then we've got a phone call from the Academy Director that our student was in this place. And after we know that he was in this condition."

"Uum, Saiba-sama?" Honey-blond Nakiri said making her the center of the attention.

"What is it, little lady?" Jouichirou asked the girl.

"Why are you in here?" Nakiri asked the elder man.

"Well, of course I'm here because my son is facing an unfortunate predicament, at the moment." Jouichirou said to the girl.

"...Yukihira Souma is your son?" Asked Nakiri to the man in front of her.

"Yeah, oh, by the way Souma is using Yukihira name, so please call me Yukihira, too." Jouichirou remarked to her as he pointed his index finger to the door and himself.

"..." Nakiri in a shaken mental state, just stand there as she look at the other student as if she confirm the information.

"Well, he really is Souma-kun's father." Sakaki said to Nakiri as she mention the elder Yukihira. But then the others said.

"Well, that's true." Yoshino said, crossing her arms.

"Seems unreal but then again it's true." Isshiki said, putting his hands on his hips.

"Seriously? This is unbelievable." Nakiri said doubting the newly confirmed information in her head. Then she's got herself a stream of past events involved with the younger Yukihira. She was then felt her legs were weakened and starting to put herself on her knees. This made everyone curious about her state.

"What's wrong, Nakiri-san? Are you okay?" Sakaki asked her as she approached the not-so-cool-anymore Nakiri when she saw the scene.

"A-a-a-aaah." Nakiri then put her hands on her head as regrets filled her head and voice.

"Come on, are you okay, Nakiri-san? Please take a seat over there." Sakaki said as she brought the other student on the seat she used to have and had her took a seat on it.

"..." Nakiri then again have her mind on the other universe ignoring everyone around her.

"What happened to her, girl?" The elder Yukihira asked Sakaki, as he took a look at the sitting girl.

"I have no idea, she was okay a few moments ago. By the way, Yukihira-san, did you know Nakiri-san?" Sakaki said to the man beside her as she stand up on her feet just like the man.

"Hmmm, well you can say that, we saw each other a few years ago." Jouichirou said trying to recall that moment of meeting.

"Oh, perhaps it's you who called Yukihira-kun on the phone a few days ago?" Nakiri's cousin said as she approach them on the chair.

"Phone call? What are you talking about, Alice?" Yoshino asked in curiousity.

"Oh, so Souma told you about it?" Jouichirou asked her as he shifted his body towards the silver-haired girl. This question also brought curiousity in everyone's mind.

"What are you talking about, Jouichirou?" Doujima-san then asked his former schoolmate.

"No, he didn't tell me anything but..." Nakiri's cousin was about to tell him something but before that they heard the door was opening, showing Yukihira Souma was standing up with the IV stand. His face and squirming eye made him looked different.

"Oh, Souma-kun" Isshiki was the one who greet him first as he approached the patient beside him.

"..." Souma was still not answering him. This made Isshiki quite confused but then realized at the same time with everyone else.

"He's still half asleep." Jouichirou said as he looked at his some in some distance.

"He's still not awake. Is it okay to let him stand there?" Doujima said as he started to approached the boy.

"Maybe, but then again he must has something in mind by standing up." Hayama said to the alumnus.

As all of them started to approach the half-sleeping but before they reach him, he motion his body to his left and went by himself without any care to his surrounding.

"""""""""..."""""""""

Everyone just stood there seeing him left by himself.

They still quitely stayed there for a few moments.

Then they saw him back as they acknowledge he was back from the restroom. Jouichirou then prevented him from entering the room as he made an eye contact to each other.

"Hey, Souma, are you okay?" The elder chef asked his son.

His question then woke his son of his not-so-concious state. Souma then tilted his head as he looked the person in front of him.

"..."

The two of them still stood there comunicating only with their eyes.

"...What is it?" Souma asked his father.

"I asked you, are you okay? You've been wandering around with half closed eyes. You should be resting." Jouichirou said as he tried to convinced his son to rest.

"I'm about to rest. Please out of the way." Souma then pushed the man slowly to open his way to his bad.

"Hey, Souma wait a minute. Do you need anything for now? You know, refreshment would be good for you." Jouichirou said as he put his hand on his son's shoulder.

"...No, I'm fine. By the way..." Souma said as he turned around to see his father face. The gesture and words rise a question of Jouichirou's about his son.

"What is it, Souma?" Jouichirou then asked as he saw something in his son's eyes.

"... Who are you, Mister?" Souma asked the elder man, putting him and Doujima, then the rest of students to a stop.


	3. Stride

_Shokugeki no Souma_ isn't my personal property. All rights reserved to the _mangaka_ and the publisher.

"""""""..."""""""

Everyone in front of the door was still shaken by Souma's serious predicament, namely his amnesia.

At the moment Jouichirou slowly let go of Souma's shoulders and fall to his knees with his hands on the floor, looking very depressed.

"Souma forgets me, Souma forgets me, Souma forgets me, Souma forgets me, Souma forgets me ..." Mumbled the elder Yukihira.

Everyone looked at Jouichirou with pity as they looked at Souma once again. He had a very perplexed expression on his face as he saw the elder man who took his hands back. Then he saw the other students and alumnus as he said pointing his fingers to the kneeling man.

"What's wrong with him? Do you know him?"

Everyone had no idea what to say to Jouichirou's son, but someone responded to Souma's question.

"Rather than think about it, you need to take a rest for now Yukihira." Someone said approaching the group bringing some people with black suit with him.

It was an old man clothed in an olive-colored yukata tied by a white obi, it was Nakiri Senzaemon, Nikiri cousins' grandfather.

His appearance made everyone shifted their attention to him. As Souma took a look at the Tootsuki Academy director, he made another perplexed expression.

"Who are you, sir?" Souma asked the elder man.

"Yukihira, it's the Tootsuki Academy director, Nakiri Senzaemon." Doujima-san said answering Souma's question which once again made the young man shifted his face to him.

"What is it, Yukihira?" Doujima asked him as he saw a big question mark on top of Souma's head.

"Who are you, mister?" Souma asked squinting his eye to Doujima.

"Oh, I'm Doujima, Tootsuki's alumnus." Doujima answered him and pointed his fingers to Jouichirou.

"He is Jouichirou, your father." He said about the kneeling Jouichirou.

"*Yawn* ... Oh okay, I get it. I don't know what are you people talking about earlier, but please don't make a noise, this is a hospital." Souma said with a slight scolding tone in his voice.

Everyone blinked their eyes on Yukihira, they couldn't believe that he still so relaxed about his condition. Before anyone made any word Souma turned around and slowly closed the door.

"I'm still tired, let me rest for now. Sorry and thanks for your concerns." Souma said as he closed the door.

"He's still so carefree. But it's true that he needs his rest." Hayama said still eyeing the door.

"I can't believe this actually happened, he really forgets everyone." Yoshino said sighing and brought down to her seat.

"That's not necessarily true." Director Nakiri said raising students' eyebrow.

"What do you mean, Director?" Doujima asked Director Nakiri.

"He's not losing all of his memory, there are still a few things that he won't forget." Nakiri said closing his eyes and then open them once again.

"He called me 'sir' earlier, right?" Nakiri said as Doujima responded with his nod.

"That means his way of addressing is still there, which showed that somehow he must be remember me unconsciously." Director Nakiri said with a thoughtful expression.

"Director, what should we do now?" Sakaki asked the elder man regarding the event.

"For now, return to the camp as they still need to be taken care of, Yukihira Souma will be on my watch now." Director Nakiri said crossing his hands.

"But..." Sakaki tried to something to him.

"Don't worry, Yukihira will join you soon." Nakiri said trying to calm the young girl.

"We understand, grandfather, we will make our way back. Come on Sakaki-san, everyone." Nakiri's cousin said to everyone with a smile.

Nakiri's grandfather nod to her, even though she has a smile on her face she still the same in her eyes, he noticed.

"We will be going back then, sir." Tadokoro said as she bowed to the elder men and went along the other students.

"Come on, come on. Oh, you too Erina, let's go back." Nakiri's cousin said, calling on the dazing girl on the bench.

"I, I, I know that. Please excuse us." Nakiri said as she recovered in her not-so-well condition then a bow to the elders. She then went back with a not-so-well expression. Director Nakiri could see that face.

"Youngsters..." Doujima said about the students.

"Let them be, Doujima. It's just the way they are. By the way..." Nakiri said facing the depressed Yukihira.

"How long you will be down there, Saiba?"

"Come on, Jouichirou, you are quite pathetic right now, can't you see that?" Doujima said with a sigh to his former classmate.

"... Understood." Jouichirou said with a limp in his legs.

"I couldn't believe that Souma would ever forgive me. What should I do?" Jouichirou said contemplating by himself.

"We can't do anything for now. Yukihira is still sleeping. We won't do anything before he opens his eyes."

Doujima and Jouichirou just nodded their head in response.

"Pardon me, are you a relative of this boy?" A doctor said approaching the adults who is still front of the patient room.

"Yes, I am." Instead of Jouichirou, Director Nakiri take the stance of Souma's representative.

"Can you please, sign this? It's his next treatment." The doctor asked for his approval.

"Of course." Director Nakiri said as he made his signature on the paper. Before the doctor went away after taking his signature Director Nakiri then said.

"Oh, hold on, doctor."

"Hmm, is there anything?" The doctor asked the elder man.

"Can you tell us anything about Yukihira Souma's entry in this hospital?" Nakiri asked the doctor.

"Hmm... If you ask me I know so little the cause of this before another exam on him." The doctor said in his thoughtful state.

"Anything is okay... Non-medical is okay any information about his state before our arrival in this hospital." Doujima said to convince the doctor about any input.

"I can say about the one who put him in this hospital, if you want to know." The doctor said to the three.

"Who did it?" Jouichirou asked the doctor.

"It was a man, in his thirties. He wore a suit, a black trench coat, vest, undershirt, leather gloves, slacks, and shoes along with a silver tie." The doctor said describing the man's outfit.

"He has slick black hair with a streak of white hair swept into the back. His skin is quite pale."

"Did he tell you his name?" Nakiri asked with a slight urgency in his voice.

"No, he didn't tell me he did so to the nurse, but he gave me his card." The doctor said as he pull a card from his pocket.

"Here it is." He said as he gave them the card.]

"Thank you, doctor." Nakiri said as he took the card.

"No, it's fine. I will be going then. Good day to you." The doctor said as he made his way to his office.

The three men only nodded to the doctor. Then they took a look at the card. The shock on the three's faces is quite clear.

"This person is..." Director Nakiri said with sweat on his face, he couldn't finish his sentence about one particular former student of Tootsuki Academy.

It's a bad news for the Academy development progress.

In the other location.

The other students were walking to the Academy camp location.

"Yukihira-kun has an amnesia... Never thought that this kind of accident happens, or it wasn't an accident?" Nakiri Alice wondered by herself.

"We have no idea about the entire event yet, so we can't just say that it's an accident nor any other way." Sakaki said with a discourage voice.

"By the way, what did he do in the last few days? He did join the camp, didn't he?" Yoshino asked, putting her hands behind her head.

"Of course he did, he got here, in this town along, with us." Nakiri Alice said pointing her finger to herself and Nakiri Erina.

"Well, he did come with us, but as soon as we get off the plane he went by himself with a car." Nakiri Erina said putting her thinking gesture.

"Did Yukihira said anything about that?" Yoshino asked the cousins.

"No, he didn't say anything important, but he said 'Enjoy yourselves in the camp.' Then he went in to the car." Nakiri Alice said opening her both hands in surrendering gesture.

"How about the director, had he known this occourance, when Yukihira-kun went on by himself?" Sakaki asked the cousins.

"Well, we haven't heard anything about him from grandfather, so I can't say anything about him. How about you, Erina?" Nakiri's cousin said passing the question to her.

"It's the same case as I do, I haven't heard anything." Nakiri said still in her thinking gesture with her closed eyes.

""""""Hmmmmm..."""""" The girls thinking hard about the past days. Then something clicked in Nakiri's mind, shifting her eyes to the boy of the group.

"How about you, Hayama-san?" Nakiri asked the dark-skinned young man.

"Now that you mention it, did you know anything, Hayama-san?" Asked Nakiri's cousin to him.

"Hmmmm, me?... Honestly I didn't have a contact with him in the last few days, but..." Hayama said making them curious.

"But what? Did something happen?" Nakiri asked the tallest student in place.

"I saw him talking with someone." Hayama said, remembering the event.

"He met someone? Who was it?" Sakaki asked the boy.

"It was our senior student, Rindou Kobayashi-senpai."

""""""WHAAAAAT?"""""" The girls scream out of the shock.

"I have no idea what they were talking about, but it seemed serious. So I went without greeting them."

"Did they go somewhere together?" Tadokoro asked, with curiosity, the young man.

"Yeah, they went somewhere together, where to, I don't know though." Hayama said to the girl.

"This camp supposed to be first year attendants, right? Why would senior student here and meet Yukihira-kun?" Yoshino asked the students, trying to confirm the information.

"It supposed to be, but because the senior involved with Yukihira-kun's business it could be entirely a different matter." Nakiri said processing the conversation.

"No matter how we think about it, without any further detail, we still have no idea what happened to that boy." Nakiri's cousin said with a sigh.

"By the way Nakiri-san." Tadokoro said facing Nakiri's cousin.

"What is it, Tadokoro-san?" Nakiri's cousin asked the reserve girl.

"Why Kurokiba-kun isn't here? He is always with you, right?" Tadokoro said.

Tadokoro's words stopped Nakiri's cousin's movement entirely. She was showing her shock face.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" Nakiri's cousin suddenly screamed at them.

"What's wrong Nakiri?" Yoshino said confused about her condition.

"RYOU, WHERE ARE YOU?" Nakiri's cousin was panicking because her aide had dissapeared.

"Now that you mention it, he's been gone since the news about Yukihira-kun being hospitalized." Arato said, finally making her words after a few moment of silence.

"Is that true? Maybe he's in the camp, then." Sakaki said, voicing her opinion.

"Well, in that case. We should hurry back to the camp." Nakiri's cousin said pacing her walk.

Then everyone started following her to the camp with the same individual in their mind. 'Kobayashi Rindou'.

The next day, Tootsuki Academy Camp

Everyone's in their own table preparing to begin the event of the day. Including the student council. However, different to the previous days, this time a particular student joined the event.

It was Yukihira Souma in his black Yukihira shirt, and his white headband tied on his wrist.

This made the students misteriously entranced by his appearance, especially his close friends.

"Oh, it's Yukihira. Where were you in the last few days?" Greeted Takumi Aldini, his fellow Elite Ten member. This greeting quite surprised Yukihira which was shown in his face.

"Hmmmm, what's with that face? You okay, Yukihira?" Aldini asked him out of curiosity.

"...I'm sorry, who are you?" Souma asked the blond young man. Yukihira's reaction made a blow to him and the surrounding students.

"What do you mean 'Who are you?' I can't believe you forget about me. Are you serious, Yukihira?" Takumi said with an unbelievable impression on his face.

Souma then opened his mouth trying to respond the student in front of him.

But before he did it. Someone entered the room, pulling the attention to her. It was Kobayashi Rindou, the former 2nd Seat of Elite Ten.

"Okay everyone, take your own table and follow my instructions." With that she started the lesson, which ended in the next few hours.

"Stop. Put your tools on the table, we're done for today. You can go back to your room." Kobayashi said ending the lesson of the day.

By the time Sakaki and her fellow Polar Star Dorm inhabitants went to approach Souma.

"Ah, you're the ones who visited me in the hospital. Sorry for the trouble and good job for today." Souma said as he saw and remembered the students approaching him.

"Good work, Yukihira-kun."

"Good job, Yukihira."

""""You too, Yukihira.""""

Sakaki and fellow dorm mates greeted him.

"Yukihira!"

Then Aldini came and put both of his hands on Yukihira's shoulder.

"A-ah, it's you again, good work today." Souma greeted him awkwardly.

"What's wrong with you today? You have no trouble in the lesson, but in this kind of thing you're not the same, are you really Yukihira?" Aldini asked the red-head with a serious face.

"Hold on a minute, Aldini-kun." Then someone else came to approach the group, Nakiri cousins.

"Nakiri, what's going on with him?" Aldini asked the cousins.

"I'll tell you, but we should change the location." Nakiri said taking everyone with her.

As they about to exited the room, then someone called out to Souma.

"Yukihira!"

It was Kobayashi-senpai. They turned around to see her running towards the group.

"Hmm, Good work, Senpai. Do you need something?" Souma asked the senior student.

Then she straightened her posture, and pointing her thumb to somewhere behind her.

"I've some business with you, come with me." Kobayashi-senpai said as she tried to make him come with her.

"What is this 'business', if I may know?" Souma asked the third year student trying to know some details.

"It's nothing special, but quickly, come with me." Kobayashi-senpai said as she pull him with her by his collar.

"See you." Kobayashi-senpai said waving to the group.

"Everyone, sorry, I'll be away now." Souma said waving his hand to the other students with a sigh.

Then the two went away leaving them behind.

"""""""""...""""""""" The rest of the students just stand there seeing their friends taken away from them.

At the inn.

"Well, too bad Yukihira himself isn't here. But you seems to know anything to do with that guy now. I'd like to know the detail." Aldini said as he took a seat in the common room along with the other students.

But before Nakiri said anything, people came down to the room.

Polar Star Dorm inmates, Satou Shouji, Marui Zenji, Isshiki Sat, Ibusaki Shun, and Aoki Daigo made their appearances.

"Yo, guys, what's with the gathering?" Aoki asked the gathering students.

"This is some gathering we have, even Nakiri cousins are here." Marui said with a slight shock in his voice.

"Hayama, Kurokiba and Arato are here as well. This should be a special occasion, then." Ibusaki said taking a look at everyone presented.

"It sure is, but I can imagine the topic today." Isshiki-senpai said with a smile on his face.

"Well, it is as you thought Isshiki-senpai. But, before that, Senpai. Can I ask you one thing?" Arato said to the senior student.

"Hmm, what is it, Arato-kun?" Isshiki asked the curious freshman.

"Where were you yesterday, after Yukihira-kun saw his father? You weren't there anymore when they talked to each other." The freshman said to the jovial student.

"Oh, about that, I had an urgent business at the time." Isshiki-senpai said responding the freshman student.

"What business that made you disappear like that?" Yoshino asked the senior with a serious expression.

"It was..." Isshiki said pulling the students to him.

"""""It was...""""Repeat Yoshino, Sakaki, Tadokoro and Arato after the male student.

"It was..." Once again Isshiki started his response.

""""It was..."""" Repeat the four again.

"It was a stomach ache, it was so sudden that I went to the restroom right away. Hahahahahahaha." Isshiki said right away with a laugh.

The four then made disappointed faces as the business Isshiki said was not as bad as they thought.

"What's with that face?! It was really bad, you know? I thought it would never end. But it stopped after a few minutes. As I got out of the restroom, everyone wasn't there anymore. So, I went back too after a few words with the Director and the alumnus." Ishikki said crossing his arms.

"Okay, that aside." Nakiri said ignoring the senior student's rumble.

"That aside!? Come on, Nakiri-kun that's so cruel, you know!?" Isshiki said in a worsening state of mental.

"Going straight to the main problem. The truth is..." Nakiri started to explain Souma's current predicament, along with the sun down outside the inn, welcoming the dark upon them.


	4. Entourage

Every Shokugeki no Soma content belongs to respective author, artists and company involved, especially Tsukuda Yuuto, Saeki Shun and Morisaki Yuki.

"It's sweet as always, Yukihira-kun."

"Hmmm, what is it Nakiri-san?"

"... Fufufu, it's nothing. I'll see you later then, Yukihira-kun."

Nakiri Alice said while waving her hand to me at the time returning to her own section, she was smiling while walking.

We were in the middle of a class, I had my friends always have their eyes on me, including a few of them that I don't really know their names at this point.

They said that I'm in a bad situation physically, but I felt that I'm in the best condition that I could think of. And I smiled expressing that feeling inside of me.

"Oi, Souma."

Someone called out to me, and I turned back to see a man with quite a face resembling those thugs you could find in the street, at least that was how I view him. He said that he was my father, he was quite depressed when I didn't recognize him in the previous day, when I had myself submitted to the hospital, which seems serious but not to me as I felt this good today, Yukihira Jouichirou was his name.

"Hmmmm, Dad?"

I said in response to him, this made him quite happy it seemed, as he turned his face to other side after what I said. What are you? A shy girl meeting her crush?

*Cough* *Cough*

He tried to clear his throat or so it seemed as he just wanted to show no one that face of his just now.

"How are you doing? Do you have any trouble so far?"

He asked me.

I had no idea what he meant as 'trouble', but guessing through the previous event went on in the hospital, I should assume that he was asking about my health.

"I'm doing fine, as you can see I did my lesson like anyone else."

"I see." He said while not really looking sure about it himself.

I didn't know what he's thinking but now we're kind of gathering attention in the room. Why? Because he's the teacher for the in this class, that's why. And yet he just looking at me most of the time.

"Why don't you see the others like those Nakiri cousins, Sensei. They're quite anxious by now."

I said pointing out his role in the room while referring the blonde haired girl and her cousin. When I said that they had an instant stiff body language. Seriously, don't they like this person? Judging from their appearances in the morning when we started the lesson they were very eager to listen to this person beside me, but the feeling wasn't mutual on this side.

"I do that too, but I wanted to see any changes on your side. What would I do when you suddenly collapse or something!?"

He said to me as he imagined I get myself passed out or something like that, he's pessimistic on his own way or he's just being a doting-parent like person in this kind of situation, I had no idea.

"I'm fine, just go see the others."

I said trying to make him go away. It seemed that he didn't really listen to my suggestion, I couldn't help it at this stage, so I let him do as he please.

"Um, Sensei?"

Someone was calling out to this person beside me making him turned around and see a student with long dark blue hair with two braided pigtails and wore a flower hairpin on the right side of her hair and had a pair of yellow eyes with her. Tadokoro was her name, if I were not mistaken, I hope so.

"Hmmmm? What is it, Tadokoro?"

the teacher asked trying to know what she needed as he confirmed her name for me.

"Uumm, would you like to try what the cuisine that I made?"

She asked him, this young lady was on my side as she tried to pull him off my back.

"Sure! Show me what you have."

He said as he walked away from me. Good job, friend, I was being grateful internally.

Today we're having a certain cuisine lesson as the teacher loved ... now that I think about it I had no idea, I on the other hand was not really sure what I like as I did my own style.

I made a Duck Rice, or at least that's how I imagined it to be. I had a duck breast done on top of a rice, sliced the duck breasts and arranged on top. Drizzle with the jus. Break the cracklins into pieces and scatter them around the rice. Dollop the apricot puree on the sides of the dishes, and they're served.

"Hooo, Souma. You made something rare here."

Sensei -father- said.

"What is it, Sensei?"

I asked him. But instead of him someone else responded to my question.

"It's a Duck Rice or Arroz de Pato in Portuguese, and as I said, it is a Portuguese cuisine."

A honey blonde young lady was the one who voiced her opinion on what I have in my plates.

"Hmmmm, Yukihira-kun."

Someone else then called out to me, it was the cousin.

"What is it?"

I asked her as formal as I could, which I did do everyone in this trip. She seemed a little bit disturbed about how I talked to her.

"... You never really made a Portuguese cuisine before, what encouraged you to make this?"

She said with a curios face she had on.

"Hmmm, it's just a matter of mood, I think. I just following my feeling. It's served."

I said taking a plate and gave it to the teacher.

"I'll have it then."

*Munch**Munch*

He had it in his mouth for a moment then had a smile on that face of his.

"..."

I just wait for his opinion on the dish.

"You deserved an A with this, Souma."

He said putting the plate down to the table on my section.

"That's great."

I said, this time I took two plates and offered it to the cousins who stood in my section. They took a look at it, then looked me.

"It's served."

I said, with that they toot it and had a bite of it.

They had those mesmerized expressions on their face, I don't know that a dish could do this to people. I guess it's that good.

"It's great Yukihira-kun"

The white haired young lady said about it. On the other hand, her cousin,

"... This is acceptable."

She didn't say it more clearly, but anyway she didn't dislike it, I was content enough with that.

"Let me try it, too!"

Someone else said taking a plate on my table. Another student with long flowing dark red hair that reached down to her shoulder blades while her bangs covered her left eye. If I were not wrong, her name was Kobayashi Rindou, a third-year student in the academy.

"Eh, Senpai, why are you here?"

Nakiri asked the one who was enjoying the meal now.

"HHHHHMMMMMM, it's delish. Might be the best I had today."

She said replicating the cousins' expression. I'm glad she like it.

"Yukihira Souma."

The senior said, looking seriously towards me. It's becoming a serious atmosphere right away. People were gulping down their throats. Then she took my hands, saying the unexpected thing to me,

"Will you be my wife?"

It's a proposal, which made everyone surprised.

"No way."

I said almost instantly to her, this made everyone surprised even more.

"What? Instant rejection? Please think about it."

She said surprised herself with that sincere, I doubted it though, request.

"I thought about it, and there's no way that happened, Senpai."

I said taking back my hands off her.

"Hic-hic-hic, you were the only one who rejected me. Come on, I'll be a great husband for you."

She said with a fake tears in her eyes.

I sighed about it, then other people responded to her request.

"There's no way that happened!"

They were the cousins. Then they realized that they were responded immediately after recovering from the stunned state of the sudden proposal.

"And senpai, it supposed to be a girl being a wife! Not the boy!"

Blonde Nakiri made things right, in her own way. Well, it's true that a lady being a husband was weird, talking about common sense, no question there.

"That's right, Erina tell her that!"

The cousin was pushing the meaning of blonde Nakiri's words.

"No, I will be the husband, because he will be the housewife, serving every food that I want."

She said very seriously, although her words were not sound serious, for me anyway.

"That's more like a personal chef rather than a housewife!"

Said the pinked eyes Nakiri even more clearly.

"It's a housewife, because he will have a lot of love from me, after I have my food!"

The senior said making more arguments against the cousins.

The argument aside, the teacher was back to the front desk and took a seat like a jury, he seemed satisfied with what I made. Now that I had my thought about it, how did this person made into a teacher? Nobody told me.

The other people that I know came to my section and asked for a part of my dish. I gave the plates to them, while ignoring the three arguing in my workplace.

"Yukihira, have you been learning Portuguese culture or something? This dish won't be done just by a feeling."

The elder Takumi, if my memory served me right about the name, voicing his opinion about the Duck Rice, or rather Arroz de Pato in the origins' term, Portuguese.

"That's true Souma-kun!"

Sakaki-san said following the previous statement and then everyone else gave their praises to the dish, I was flattered to have their praises but something was bothering me somehow, about something in my chest. I didn't know what that was though, so I let it go.

"Then why were you here now, Senpai?"

White haired Nakiri asked the former second seat of the Elite Ten, her question took my attention back to the senior student.

"Nothing really, I just wanted to see the former second seat of the Elite Ten's lesson."

She said still having the rice with her. Then she continued,

"But I was too late to see that, fortunately it seemed that I had the best moment to have this for myself."

She referred to the plate she had on her hand.

"That's great, Senpai."

I said responding her positive feedback on my dish.

"Anything for you, darling."

She said winking her eye to me. I had sweat drop on my face. This time, it was Sakaki made a face between us, nobody really saw that, though.

*Sigh*

I sighed after that, somehow I kind of understood what kind of personality this individual had. Then I took off my headband, to show that I was done.

"Thanks for the food."

They said putting down the plates.

"Good work, everyone."

I said referring to everyone around me. Then I had a look at my watch.

"Okay everyone you're done for today. Free time from now on, I'll be suggesting to do self-study, ask anyone about anything but do as you please. I'll take my leave now. Good work, everyone!"

The teacher said telling everyone, that the lesson ended and so was the study for the day. Then I was about to go out of the room. But someone called my name.

"Souma-kun!"

I turned around to see Sakaki holding on her bag, approaching me.

"Let's go together."

She said asking me to go with her and I nodded agreeing that suggestion.

"Where are you going, Souma-kun?"

She asked me as we walked together.

"I'm going to the hospital, to have a check up on me."

I said lifting up my head seeing the sky and I saw a bird flying around the ceiling of the earth making a circle. It sure was nice, I thought of it as a freedom, just like how I felt now.

"I see, I'll go with you then."

She said making our pace steady to each other, then she saw my smile on my lifted head.

"Hmmm, what's wrong Souma-kun?"

She asked as she looked at what I've been looking at the sky.

"Ooh a bird. Looks very nice."

She said making her own smile.

"Yes, it is nice."

I said still had that smile and closed my eyes as I shift my head to front sight.

"What are you thinking?"

She said realizing that I had something on my mind.

"Hmmm, it's nothing. I just thought that I have a good feeling about today."

I said to her honestly, I've been feeling this way since I woke up. Today was going to be a good day.

"But you're going to hospital now, isn't it a bad thing?"

She asked me slightly confused about it.

"Hehe, you're right Sakaki-san, it's not supposed to be a good thing."

I said making her even more confused.

"Then, why do you feel good now?"

She asked me again about what I thought.

"I have no idea."

I said smiling as we made our way to the hospital.

In the hospital.

"Thank you very much!"

I said as I was exiting the doctor's working room. Then my friend came to me as I turned around after closing the door. I noticed that she had her clothes changed, I had no idea how she did it. I was guessing that she had the others in that bag.

"How was it?"

Sakaki asked me about the medical check-up on me, as she hand my bag to me.

"The doctor said that there's no anomalies with me anywhere possible."

I said as we began walking away from the building.

"That's a good news, even though you have no memories about anyone yet."

She said trying to ease my mind.

"Yes, that's a good part."

I said still having something in my mind.

"So, any suggestion from the doctor?"

She asked me for more details.

"No at all, he said that the only left thing to do is to wait for me to recover my memories."

I said specifically what was told by the doctor.

"Hmmmm, it couldn't be any other way, then."

She said putting her hands together in her back, walking along side me.

"Maybe we need to go back now."

I said suggesting to return. She then stopped her step.

"Souma-kun"

She called my name to have my attention on her then as I looked back on her.

"What's wrong, Sakaki-san?"

I asked her, she had a pink tinge on her face as if she didn't really want to say something, but in the end she had to,

"Do you mind taking a detour?"

Like that, she asked me to go different way.

A few minutes later.

On a road.

We were together enjoying a fresh air closing in an open park, there were not many people at this time so we had plenty of spaces to go.

In this state I felt like running around the place.

*Chuckle*

That was enough to make me chuckle, somehow my mood was really good.

"Is there anything interesting, Souma-kun?"

She asked me as she heard my previous chuckle.

"No, not really."

I said still with this positive mood with me.

"Why did you laugh, then?"

She asked again really intended to find out.

"Mhmm."

I just hummed a negative voice to her.

"What? Is it me? My clothes? My face?"

She asked me again as she checked herself with her hands finally on her cheek.

Sakaki Ryouko a first year student like me, she has long purple hair going down to her waist with split bangs that reach her chest and a pair of orange colored eyes featuring her face, she's wearing a blue casual dark blue full length blouse, usually she wore her white Jeans but this time she wore a skirt, not that I know of the reason for the change, this was a result of the past twenty four hours experience.

"I think you are great as you are now, Sakaki-san."

I said to her as I observed her appearance for a moment. Now rather than shades of pink on her face, it's more like red this time.

"..."

It seemed that she couldn't produce any word with her mouth now.

"Hmmmm? Oh, did I offend you?"

I asked as I knew that someone was rather embarrassed or offended by reacting that way.

"N-n-no, that's not it. Thank you for your kind words, Souma-kun."

She said a little bit rashly, with a smile this time, it seemed bigger than the last time. I was glad she wasn't offended.

"That's good, then."

I said reciprocate her in kind.

"Mhm, mhm."

She hummed, she got her mood got even better than before, it seemed.

"What would people do when they were going out like this?"

I asked her out of curiosity, we could see people hanging out with each other doing a lot of stuff. I couldn't say for sure what to pick, though.

"How about we get some crepe? They surely sell it in this kind of place."

She said pretty much with a cheerful voice, I wasn't wrong about her mood then.

"Wait, Sakaki-san."

I said halting her for a moment which made her turned around and face me, but I had my eyes on something when she did. Then she put her eyes on the same place then widen her eyes. I put my fingers towards the place then said,

"How about we go there?"

Being in Kyoto was a rare opportunity, no, not really, but rather always a good opportunity to have that coming not very often to the city. This was my first time being here, so I want to go all out, by choosing Toei Kyoto Studio Park.

"You want to go there, Souma-kun?"

She asked me for confirmation, she seemed a little bit hesitant at first.

"Yes, Sakaki-san. Will you go with me?"

I held my hand out to her as I asked her to go with me. Her eyes the brightened sincerely and closed them with mesmerizing smile she responded to me,

"Yes!"

She answered energetically, I was thinking that how glad I was that I invited her. Then we went to the park of the drama era.

We started with entering the front gate. We went to Hibari Misora Museum and Japanese Movie Archives one at a time, we could see a lot of thing, especially those concerned with movies because this park was made because of that reason, and this place was historically immense contribution in its own way in the making of movies, then we went up to Nihonbashi Bridge we had the change to go to the Costume Photo Shop, they had a lot of clothes specifically made for acting roles in movies then to get a picture of ourselves in it.

Now we're in the Haunted House, somehow I couldn't really believe that there are haunted house in theme park, but then I remember that this place was being a 'studio' for a reason, which mean that it had everything I could imagine in a movie.

Started on the entrance, we went in as normal as we could, or more like I did while Sakaki was on full alert mode. This got into my mind that she could have a very rare chance being in this kind of place, or rather never at all, with this in my thought I wanted her to have the maximum experience of the haunted house.

As we walked through the attraction unconsciously she held on my hand tightly like she would never let it go, I guessed this place really got her, so I pull out of my idea to had her experience the most of this facility, if she just being scared she wouldn't be able to enjoy it, and it would be my failure making a girl crying when she was supposed to laugh to her heart content.

So we went and bypassed the attraction one by one, she still has her eyes opened so she still could see the stuff around us. As time went on she had got more relaxed but sometimes she had her heart jumped because of the sudden full body show of other world inhabitants. I laughed internally after I thought about it. But still, overall she did not dislike it.

Closing on the last attraction she still had her hands on mine, and then *BBBAAAAAAA* we were stunned there's something in front of us, I recovered right away, thankfully, then released a sigh of relief. I wasn't sure what was this ghost supposed to be, but I ignored it and saw someone that I held hand with who surprised me to see her held on to my body quite tightly turning her back on to that creature in front of us.

"Eh, Sakaki-san?!"

I tried to called her out but no response but a shivering body of her, I understood what that meant, then I started to put my hands behind her, rubbing her back, trying to calm her down.

"..."

"..."

We were there, standing on the road, holding onto each other, for a few minutes. I didn't know how long we were like that but I did my best to calm her down. Then, slowly she loose the hold and keep her face down.

"Sakaki-san."

I said her name, then asked her.

"Are you calm?"

She answered with a nod. I was glad to see that.

"Now, shall we go?"

I asked her as I hold her hand with mine.

*Nod*

"All right."

I reciprocate in a slightly energetic way but slowly pulled her hand as she walked out the place with me.

A few moments later.

We walked on the road going north to the Deity of Good Fortune area. Sakaki wasn't in her optimal condition but she still responded to my voice.

"Sakaki-san, look."

I said softly to her making her see the Deity of Good Fortune, as expected it's a shrine, where people actually pray and hope for a better thing in the future.

"Let's offer something and pray."

I asked her to go and pray to the deity, then She nodded. We walked towards it throwing the offer and clapped our hands together then pray.

We took a few minutes to pray, but it's all what it takes to made her back lively. I guessed shrine was a good place to sooth your bad mental condition. After we prayed we went south with her had that smile back on her face all the way to the end of Toei Kyoto Studio Park tour.

I was satisfied.

On the way home we put on our coats and gloves to prevent the cold air reaching directly to our skin, holding on each other's hand.

"I'm glad I took you there, Sakaki-san."

I said smiling on the road that made her stared at me, then I continued,

"Thank you." I said

These words of mine seemed to be triggered something in her, as she stopped on the track. I was confused, not knowing that I was doing anything wrong.

"Sakaki-san?"

I called out to her again while bewildered seeing her action. Then she, quickly, let go of my hand and moved from my side, to the front then closed the distance between our faces in one swift movement. And nobody saw us that day, except the one floating cherry blossom leaf on the flowing riverside of the road.

That evening.

In the inn for Tootsuki academy trip, one confused man was walking from the dining area seemed to be looking for something or someone. This person was Yukihira the father, Jouichirou who was approaching the lounge which was close to the receptionist in which he found students, especially the Polar Star residents, then he accelerated his step.

"Hmmmm? Yukihira-san, what's wrong?"

The silver haired Nakiri asked the elder gentleman. Somehow she got it, because this person had been pretty much like this since Yukihira's incident.

"Did you see Souma anywhere? He's been gone since the end of the lesson today."

"Didn't he go to the hospital for a check-up?"

She asked him if by chance he knew it.

"I think he did, but there's no way medical check-up would take so much time."

He said telling her the logical thought.

"Hmmm, that's true."

The she thought of it herself. As they stood there by themselves, the other Polar Star residents approached them,

"What are you two doing?"

Yoshino of the rest of Polar Dorm asked the two.

"Did you see, Yukihira-kun today, after the lesson?"

Nakiri Alice asked her and everyone of them.

"No, I didn't."

"Neither did I."

"I didn't see them."

"He went out pretty quickly so, no."

*Shake*

Some of them just shook their heads, and the others just being silent not knowing the answer.

Then thinking where he could be at this time. Then Nakiri Erina realized something and turned to her aide and called out to her,

"Hisako!"

"Yes, Erina-sama!"

Arato responded immediately like a mechanical android.

"Do you still have Yukihira-kun's mobile phone?"

She asked her reminding them all about the first seat of Elite Ten's mobile phone.

"Please, wait a minute!"

Arato said while going to her room and got back with it on her hand.

"Here, it's with me."

Arato said showing the device to the rest of them.

"Now, we have no idea how to contact him."

*SIGH*

All of them sighed, by then one fact was missing of them.

"Hmmmm, Is this everyone from the dorm?"

Yukihira Jouichirou asked the residents making them confused, then Nakiri said,

"I think we are all here, Saiba-sama, what do you mean by that?"

"No, I don't think that this is all of you."

He said mentioning it once again.

"What do you...?"

Nakiri Alice asked him again but interrupted by certain someone.

"AAAAAHHHH!"

Yoshino was shouting at them, looked like realizing something.

"Wh-what?! What is it, Yoshino-san?"

Asked blonde Nakiri as she was surprised by her shout just like everyone else.

"I don't see Ryouko-san here with us."

Yoshino said mentioning a certain purple haired student.

"Ooh, that girl was Ryouko, that purple haired girl?"

Elder Yukihira asked them confirming his suspicion.

"You saw her, Yukihira-san?"

Yoshino asked him.

"Yeah, I did."

He said responding to her question truthfully, then he continued,

"Do you have her contact?"

"Yes, I do. Do you want me to contact her?"

Yoshino asked the elder man. Then he smiled and said,

"Try it, call her, she might know something."

Suggesting the two pigtails junior to give her friend a call with her responding,

"Yes, sir, right away!"

She brought out her mobile phone and start contacting the missing girl of the group.

*Click*

She heard the phone being picked up, she put up her phone for a loudspeaker so everyone could hear the conversation, then the voice across the media could be heard, or more like voices, of a crowd.

"Hello, this is Sakaki."

It's the contact's voice that answered.

"Ryouko-san, this is Yuki, where are you?"

Yoshino asked sounding quite rushed.

"Me? I'm outside, taking a walk, I'm sorry I couldn't quite hear you, so I'm handing it over now."

She said as it sounded that she was in a crowd or something, it was quite loud on her side.

"Handing it over? Ryouko-san?"

Yoshino said starting to panic.

"Oh, here take this for me, please."

They could hear the voice of Sakaki giving her phone to someone else, who took up the phone call and said,

"Hello, sorry, but Ryouko-san is in the line for takoyaki. So, I'll be the one who talk to you."

"..."

There's was a total silence when everyone heard the new voice.

"Hello, heeey, anyone there?"

He asked through the mobile phone. The voice belonged to someone they had been looking for, a certain red head of the Polar Star Dormitory, the reigning first seat of the Elite Ten. They were stunned for a moment.

In their mind and mouth was his name.

"SOUMA-KUN!","SOUMA!""YUKIHIRA-KUN!""YUKIHIRA!"

The missing pair was found together in the end by this contact history.

"Yes, it's me, Souma!"

"Where are you two now?"

Yoshino asked the young man talking on the mobile phone, the atmosphere around her now was getting thicker, it came from certain people close to her by distance.

"Us? Both of us in a festival, not far from the inn."

He said, sounded trying to see the environment on his own side.

"Come here, guys. There's a lot of stuff here, and bring my father too, if you can."

He said, mentioning the teacher of the day. Then Nakiri started to talk responding the invitation,

"We will..."

"Souma-kun!"

But she was cut off by the previous voice.

"Here I've got it, take yours."

"Oh, thanks. Here, take the phone!"

He said sounded that he let her take over the conversation in exchange of something they couldn't really specify at the moment.

"Thank you! Oh please be careful, it's still hot."

"Understood!"

"Hey Yuuki. I will hang up now, we're about to have takoyaki! Come here and bring everyone else with you. We'll be waiting!"

*Click* *Beep**Beep**Beep**Beep**Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep*

The conversation was ended by her on the other side.

The atmosphere was heavy because it was generated by two people who dominating the air. There were the young men's too, but in a much more smaller scale than the two. As the two turned to the direction of the hotel entrance, and started to walk towards it, in a faster pace than usual.

"Let's go, Alice."

Nakiri Erina said with her eyes covered by her bangs, putting her coat on.

"Let's go everyone, it's a festival."

The cousin in the same state, putting her coat on too, inviting the rest of Polar Star resident plus Arato to the festival.

They couldn't really see their face but they were sure it's not as it sound or they could just fake it. The atmosphere seemed to be dissipated but not completely gone as they walked away. Leaving the rest to follow behind them by some distance between the two and themselves.

The last people going were quietly following the cousins, except one.

With a smile full of excitement, he said,

"This will be one festival to remember."


	5. Quarters

Shokugeki no Soma isn't my personal property. All rights reserved to respective author, artists and company involved, especially Tsukuda Yuuto, Saeki Shun and Morisaki Yuki.

"Yukihira is surely a festival guy."

Yoshino said talking about a certain red head.

"Can't really say anything against that at this point."

Marui responded to his fellow first year student.

"But Festival is great no matter where it is."

Yoshino said looking forward to the event of their destination held.

"But what festival is it?"

Sato asked having no clue about the ocassion in question.

"It's Tanabata, isn't it?"

Tadokoro asked for confirmation.

"Yes, most likely it is. It's 1st of August now, and Kitano-Tenmangu Shrine which hosts the festival most likely in its busiest time now."

Marui shared a bit of information the he's got to everyone.

"Tanabata? Yukihira doesn't seem like someone who put a wish on a paper."

Sato said, doubting that the person in question was interested in this kind of festival.

"Hmmmm, now I think about it. Yukihira loves challanges, pressures, working hard, learning new stuff and others that have the chance to improve himself. I didn't think he even interested in girls."

Yoshino said with a certain point at the end of her line which somewhat making the mood of certain duo of cousin dropped slightly.

*Smirk*

The one who did it was the eldest of the group, the teacher for the day, Yukihira Jouichiro.

He might intended to hide that expression from everyone, but someone noticed it quite early.

"What is it, Yukihira-san?"

He asked that man.

"Hmmmm? It's nothing... Is what I thought I'd like to say."

His statement made himself an attraction for the eyes of younger bunch of people.

"He may likes, no he definitely likes those you said... Yoshino, was it? Your name?"

He said trying to clear his doubt about the student.

"Yes, that's me, 'Sensei'."

She said with a slightly showing her teeth along with her finger lifted up marking the 'Sensei' term.

"Hehe, some student you are. But anyway, that doesn't mean that Souma doesn't like girls at all."

He said with his hands rubbing the back of his head.

"Hmmmm, why did you say that, Yukihira-san?"

This time Tadokoro wondering about his words.

"He has a very few friends because of his life holding a knife since his third birthday which made him pretty much in the kitchen rather than in the park."

This reminded them of the red head statement before about that time of his childhood.

"I'm not going to say that he is a loner, because I don't need to say why. But his attention on people is as customers rather than anything else."

He said about his understanding of his son's perspective.

"He's very obsessed about his customer. If they don't smile he would never be satisfied, but he will now that you're lying about a food when you do in front of him, especially with his food being the topic."

He said, trying to describe that person perspective.

"So, he doesn't really look at people as their own personality but one certain status?"

This time suprisingly the quiet, Ibusaki suggested.

"Roughly, it could be, said that way. But it's not definitely right about him."

He said seemingly tried to say something else.

"He noticed someone isn't a customer when certain characteristic is met."

He said to point out the difference of those in his understanding.

"He's had always see something in someone, if he doesn't see you as a customer."

He continued his reasoning.

"What do you mean by that?" Marui asked the thug looking chef.

"Let's say that in general condition, in his mind there quite small number group of people. Let's say customer, beloved father,"

at this point the students turned away their heads, but he still continued,

"rivals, friends, classmates, and strangers."

"Well, seems to be that way in his eyes."

Tadokoro said starting to thing about those group of people.

"Customer are gods in his bible, dear father is rival and friend and a goal, you people are his friends, that senior is rival and friend. Then if we count that from the first to the last as 25 points, then next is 25, 20, 15, 10 and 0 for the last. Which makes it all 100, this means his everything."

He said making his own system with no certainty but so much confidence.

"Customer will have 30 by two aspects alone, and I take 40 by being those three."

He said pointing himself so proudly.

"Wait, what makes you 40 points? You only have 35."

Marui said making a good calculation.

"Me being a goal will definitely make him more motivated so it's working only me. Wa ha ha ha ha."

He said justifying himself which makes Marui sighed at the elder man.

"And now there are all of you with friends and classmates, which sum up to 25 points..."

He said mentioning them all.

"What do you mean only 25 points, aren't we rivals?"

Sato said retorting the statement.

"I don't think so, as far as I realized."

Elder Yukihira said.

"What? Our skill didn't couldn't keep up with it?"

Yoshino asked a little bit unhappy with her own guess.

The the elder looked at them.

"What? What is it?"

Sato said trying to figured this man out.

"Didn't you guys know that he's going for an away lesson?"

He asked the group of younger generation.

"You mean the rumors?"

Yoshino asked for confirmation.

"Yes, it's true he's going out of the school."

This surprised everyone which made them asking for more question.

"So he's going to quit the academy?"

Tadokoro asked frantically.

"No, he's not going to quit, I think but a day is much more precious and worth it than you think."

He said reminding them that every second has a great mean.

"So for example, he spent a week with you guys compared to the week he spent with the best professional chefs in the world, which one is more going to have more impact to him?"

He said somehow making their heart take only a bit to hope for the exact opposite of the fact.

"Of course they would change him even more. Because cooking is everything to him."

He said showing how much the red head love what he does.

"That's even more when I encouraged him to take that decision."

This line of his made them stunned, especially Nakiri cousins, well more to the honey-blonde one.

"W-w-what? You did, Yukihira-san?"

Tadokoro asked, not believing the fact. Then Nakiri silver haired remembered about something.

"So, that's what the phone call about."

She said certainly, her words also reminded her cousin.

"..."

Nakiri Erina closing her mouth and eyes hard.

"Oh, you two knew about it?"

The elder asked the two.

"Well, I overheard it and we heard about it from the man in question."

She said putting both of her hands in her coat pocket.

"I see, I thought he would never told his friends, especially you two."

He said seeing the cousins.

"Why is that, Saiba-sama?"

Nakiri asked him.

"..."

He was silent for a moment, contemplating about what he should say about it.

"Because he lost his rivals, so he doesn't have them now."

He finally said which bewildered the two.

""EH?""

"That's what he told me."

He said making sure that his words weren't altered.

""...""

"I don't really know about you guys but he saw the both of you had his respect, somehow."

He worded it as he made them turned their heads to him.

"He's normally doesn't care how people got better by any kind of method in the culinary which could made him somehow distracted."

Then he continued,

"But, in Molecular Gastronomy he try his ingredients and by pure encouragement he perfected his creation."

This statement made them quite thinking as they understood the red eyes student's influence but didn't on her cousin's.

"Encouragement?"

The blonde said while thinking.

"Yes, encouragement."

He said making her eyes shifted to him.

"I think because you made an extremely different food by the same looks."

He said not quite surely.

"He likes simple food, but very mindful about the taste, as everyone does. But this 'encouragement' made his creation even more beautiful than ever."

"...?"

She still didn't get it, as she looked that way.

"Well I can't say for sure but because of these two he could let go of everything else but his handmade arts."

He said giving up on the matter.

"But I've never thought that someone would made a move on him. While I was around for the past few days."

He said thoughtlessly, forcefully change the subject.

He succeeded by unconsciously angered a certain duo. Then he asked,

"How are they acting to each other? That Sakaki girl and Souma?"

"Yukihira often consulting with Sakaki, usually before shokugeki. She often let him in her room."

Yoshino said trying to remember anything else.

"Now that you mentioned it, Sakaki didn't mind letting him in for something that I don't really get."

Sato said confirming the new information.

"She never let boys in so it's really rare to see a boy in her room, even though she has a nice room, well she didn't mind in our case though."

Tadokoro said mentioning the particular side of the purple haired student.

"Hmmmmm, so they are close then."

Humming he concluded their share of information.

"Oh, recently she took a good care of Yukihira, didn't she?"

Yoshino said, remembering recent interaction between the two.

"Eh? Really I thought it was Isshiki-senpai who do that."

Tadokoro said not really sure about it.

"No, he didn't because of his naked apron which Yukihira really didn't know what to say about it, Sakaki often stopped him taking care of that person."

Aoki said giving the another fact of their close development.

"Talking about Isshiki he really made himself invisible, didn't he? He's not with us even now."

Elder Yukihira said looking at the entire group once again.

"Now that I think about it he wasn't with us the entire day. Anyone saw him?"

The rest, in their own way gave, a negative response.

"Isshiki-senpai can't be ignored but his appearance is diminished by day. Before this trip he was there in the dorm with us. And in the hospital, even though he spent a lot in the restroom."

Marui said adjusting his glasses.

"Honestly speaking, he's better that way at this point."

Arato said.

"Hmmmm? Why's that? Errr... What's your name again?"

The goatee man asked her, unsure.

*Sigh*

This made her sigh in response.

"It's Arato Hisako, Yukihira-san."

She said reminding him of her name.

"He often does his naked apron in closed place, there's no guarantee that he won't do it in front of the girls. It's summer now it would be better to do that in specific place."

She continued with a shudder on her entire body then slowly calmed down.

"Don't remind me of that Hisako."

Certain blonde said.

"EH!? I'm sorry, Erina-sama."

She said apologetically.

"Never mind that, he often joined the rest of the third year students. Like Kobayashi-senpai and Tsukasa-senpai, they often together."

This time Nakiri Alice share her knowledge about a certain second year student.

"The three of them often together?"

Tadokoro couldn't really believed her judging by her voice.

"It's not really odd about them being together. Especially when Yukihira often made them stay together."

The pink eyes Nakiri said about a certain trio.

"I don't really want to know about what they do together, but why did he do that especially Isshiki-san being a second year?"

Marui asked her.

"I have no idea either, but Yukihira-kun sometimes consulting with the three rather than anyone else the former Elite Ten Council members, I think it's also because they are the ones closest to him between the seniors."

She said not really sure about their fellow first year student thinking.

"Aside of that, here we are people. Kitano Tenman-gu Shrine, our destination."

Her cousin said mentioning their arrival in front of the Shrine's entrance.

"Now we have a festival to see, let's go."

The blonde said leading the group entering the festival location.

In the previous hour they spent in the location.

Ryouko and I really had fun in this festival.

We took a lot of things and a lot of food then taking part of events, like goldfish scooping, target shooting, hoops toss, and yoyo hook with a string. We even had a mask, one that I gave to my friend here beside me, she looked having so much fun that making the scared face she had in the Toei Studio Park looked like a lie.

It's a good thing she forgot about it for now.

Now we had most of the attraction well and done. I have so much luck for this festival like the ticket to... well everyone will find out later. But honestly we had things that enough to make the stall owners go bankrupt, it must be because of that God of Fortune we went to today.

"Now, What do we do Souma-kun?"

Ryouko said smiling beside me, we're holding hands unconsciously. Well, if she wanted to do it, I din't mind and thankfully not that many people at this time in this side of the festival, so we'll be fine whether or not we did this.

We still have time before everyone came. I wonder what to do before then, we had a meeting spot somewhat I thought we need to go there. But before I said anything,

"Open up, Souma-kun."

Ryouko put up something to my mouth. I did as she asked.

"Aaaaaaa..."

Then put it in my mouth.

"Hmmmmm, hum, huuum."

I mumbled tasting taiyaki in my mouth, it's quite big so I had a hard time to keep it in my mouth, it's overloaded and I couldn't really take it because my hand still holding on hers and the other holding on the prizes we had.

"Ha ha ha ha, here I'll take it from you."

She said taking the half of the food off my mouth, she laughed while she did it then put it in her mouth.

"Hmm, it's good."

I said smiling totally absorbing the texture of the signature festival cake.

"It is good. but still I prefer the cotton candy, it's delicious."

She said reminding us of the candy we had earlier.

"Well, it is good in its own way."

I said, glad that she had fun of the event.

"Thank you, Souma-kun."

She said, looking straight to the front.

"Hmmm, it's nothing really. We've got to have fun in festivals after all."

I said thinking that it was a common thing to do, but not really notable to be thank for.

"No, that's not what I mean."

She said mentioning clearly what she meant.

"Hm, what is it, Ryouko-san?"

I wondered what could be there aside of we taking have our in the festival.

"You treat me differently today."

She said making me confused.

"What do you mean?"

I asked her.

"You know, I was treated as a big sister in the academy."

She said mentioning the way people looked at her, with her smile still on.

"Eh? Really?"

I said as I didn't know or rather remember any of it.

"Hm hm, Well except you, actually."

She said holding my a little stronger while nodding.

"Should I call you elder sister, then?"

I asked, somehow seriously.

"Bu, ha ha ha ha. No, you don't need to."

She said bursting out laughing.

"Hehehe, you treated me like a girl with her complete freedom today, Souma-kun. And I'm thankful for that."

She said with a sincere smile on her face then I smile to her then looking straight together and go to the meeting spot we had with others.

"You are a girl Ryouko-san, you will always be."

I said saying the obvious. She blushed hardly as I stil had my eyes on the road.

"Hehe, thank you."

She really was acting very girly since the afternoon. Starting with the reaction in the public park, Toei Studio Park even more. She was scared then a lot of smiles on the way to this place, then she took cakes, prizes and goldfish in this festival, she even had a kimono wore on. I did a good job for a company, I guess.

Talking about her kimono, she wore a midnight blue one, with phoenix's tail figure on the small part close to the hem lining which had a lighter color on the other part, I could see the actual other parts of phoenix laid on the back panel. Then she had a venetian red sash, both of it. The outer one and the inner ones then a scarf-like sash which tied the sash together so they won't fall off in case it's getting loose. It looked great on her.

By the way, we had our bags except her smaller bag somewhere in the festival when we came here, so we didn't have to worry taking too much luggage.

*Beep**Beep*

"Oh, I have a text message."

She said, noticing that her phone was making a noise. I hand the small bag for her to take the phone and unlock it to see the content.

"They're about to come, they would be in the meeting spot they said."

She said putting her phone in the bag.

"Shall we go then?"

I asked her as we still walking.

"Yes, but wait a minute, Souma-kun."

She said as we stopping on the way, I looked her way and asked,

"What's wrong, Ryouko-san?"

Then we went to a corner with not so many people around then she went to some random girl and brought her to me,

"She'll take our picture."

She said to me along with the girl.

Oh, that's what. It's a commemoration picture, I realized.

"Okay, let's do it then."

I said as we stood together in front of that other person, we had our hands held together, make a further contact by closer or no distance. Then,

"I'll take the picture now."

That person said then we prepared ourselves.

"Cheese."

She said making us smiled to the camera and had our memory etched in the digital world.

Then we thanked the girl for her credit to us as she returned the phone which belonged to Ryouko and began walking away once again.

When we arrived near the entrance, our meeting spot, she said to me,

"Thank you, Souma-kun."

She said looking at me with the brightest smile she could have on, tightened our hands together even more.

Then I reciprocated in kind and we had our eyes front then a group of Tootsuki Culinary Academy students plus one gentlemen came in sight.

We walked to them with a memorable event we had experienced.


	6. Solicit

Every Shokugeki no Soma content belongs to respective author, artists and company involved, especially Tsukuda Yuuto, Saeki Shun and Morisaki Yuki.

Ryouko let go of my hand and ran towards the group in front of the entrance then greet them.

"You're here!"

She said arriving in front of everyone with me not too far away from them.

"Everyone, glad you can make it."

I said to them making their sight on me after seeing Ryouko for a moment.

"Ryouko-san, where have you been? I've been missing you!"

Yoshino said hugging the purple haired student and rubbing her face on her chest left to right all over again.

"Well, I was with Souma-kun going to the hospital to have a check up on him."

She said answering and looking at the student with buns who was still holding on to her.

"You had quite some fun just for a check up."

Nakiri blonde said to the elder sister figure, with a frown on her face.

"Well, I thought it would be great to take some air in other places."

She said quite nervously by the look of two Nakiri at the same time.

"You took a great air, I guess, with that clothes on you now."

The Silver haired Nakiri referring to Ryouko's kimono, or rather yukata at this time of the year.

"W-w-well it's a festival, so why didn't I go all the way?"

"It is a festival indeed."

The silver hair said, narrowing her eyes to the orange eyes student, making her a little nervous.

"Ehehe..."

The latter laugh nervously to the statement.

"It seems that you have fun, Souma."

Another Yukihira, the teacher said, walking to me.

"Yeah, of course I did. We're not here for something boring, Sensei."

I said to him mentioning the obvious.

"You have a lot of thing in your hand. What are those?"

Nakiri Alice came close to me to see stuffs that I have in my hand.

"Oh, we went to some places here. You can take some if you want."

I said showing them to her, and then I realized that small bag that belonged to Ryouko was still with me.

Then I walked to the students holding on to each other with the purple haired realized that I was coming to her.

"Hmmm, what is it, Souma-kun?"

She said turning on to my direction, the realized that she left something with me.

"Here, Ryouko-san you'll need your bag."

I said to her as I handed her the small bag that I hold on to.

"Oh, thanks, Souma-kun."

She said smiling at me, then continued,

"How about the others, do you need me to hold it?"

She asked about the other stuff we had.

"No, I'll hold on to it, we still have few things here. You can tell me if you need something."

I said about the other stuff, smiling at her as she reciprocate in kind to me.

Then Yoshino realized something about the elder sister figure of hers.

"Ryouko-san you made good pick."

She said making both me and Ryouko turned to her direction.

"What do you mean, Yuuki?"

Ryouko said quite confused.

"I mean this yukata it looks good on you."

Yuuki said about the yukata that Ryouko had on her now.

"Oh, this? Thanks Yuuki."

She said happy about the compliment she heard, I smiled looking at them then turned to the males of the group.

"How about you guys, you want something?"

I said to Sato, Aoki, Ibusaki and Marui.

"Is it okay, Yukihira?"

Aoki asked me doubting his ears.

"Yes, you can have some."

I said smiling at him who looked to be enjoying receiving the offer.

"I'll have some, then."

He said then took some of the food we had.

"How about you, guys?"

I offered the others about it too.

"No, I'll take a look at those in the stalls."

Sato said pretty much had his attention on the stalls near our location.

Ibusaki just shook his head refusing my offer.

"I'll have some too, Yukihira."

Marui said seeming to be on verge of his life without food. This guy had it hard with him.

"Ahaha, have some then. Take it easy."

I said giving him the food.

"You have a good sense of fashion. You get them here?"

Back to the ladies, Nakiri Erina asked the purple haired mentioning the clothes she had on her.

"Yes, it's not far from here."

"Whoa, it really seems good on you. Good choice Sakaki-san."

The cousin said about it too.

"Thanks again but you'll have to say that to Souma-kun about that."

Ryouko said about me who still in the middle of something with the male residents of Polar Star Dorm.

"He was the one who pick this one for me."

She said mentioning remembering the time when we had the time to pick on in the rental shop, which then the young ladies and one elder gentleman set their sight on my direction widening their eyes.

"He picked this for you?"

The teacher asked her, did not quite believe what he heard.

"Yes, Sensei. He knows what he saw."

Ryouko said again about me in the clothes department.

Feeling the gaze on me, I stopped talking to my frieds to see the young ladies and the old man on me, making me walking to them.

"What? Do you need something?"

I asked them about their curious expression.

"Good job, Souma."

The teacher said to me putting his hands on my two shoulders and making the purple haired student starting to have a light pink face on her and turned to other direction but mine.

"Eh? What is it?"

I asked again but no response from the man as he continued to smiled on me.

"Yukihira-kun."

Another student called out to me.

"Will, you picked a yukata for me?"

Nakiri Alice asked me about the yukata.

"Yukata? Ooh like the one Ryouko-san is wearing?"

I said realizing that they were looking at the clothes back then.

"Yes, will you do that for me?"

She asked me again.

"Well, I can do that."

I said granting her request.

"That's great, let's go right away."

She said delightfully starting reach and pull my hand.

"I'll show you the way."

"Great, now on to the road."

She said even though she did not know the way.

"Let's go, everyone."

I said making them all nod and follow us. By then Ryouko came to my side, making them all wondered why she did it which Nakiri Erina squnting her eyes for. But no one made a voice except Nakiri Alice who couldn't wait to have one on her own yukata.

The silver haired student walked in front of us with me and Ryouko right behind her then followed by Nakiri Erina, Yoshino and Tadokoro and then the rest of the males then the teacher who was smiling on his own to my direction.

"Hmmmmmmmm-"

Humming behind us sounded happy about something.

We were walking for a few minutes to find a rental store of traditional clothes in sight,

"Oh, we're here."

I said as I saw it.

"Let's go in!"

The red eyes student said going into the store right away, I smiled as Ryouko did the same but wryly.

"Let's go in, Souma-kun."

She said pulling my left hand and me to the store, I just responded by doing as she said.

"..."

The rest of the girls were came in, too.

And as we go around the place, the store owner a lady in her thirties saw us and came to us.

"Welcome, customers. Please choose our yukata on this special ocassion."

"Excuse us, miss."

Nakiri Alice said greeting the lady.

"We'll be taking a look first."

Then she went on her way to choose one. At this moment I doubted that she ever need me to find one.

"Go ahead, pick one that you like."

The owner said encouraging the red eyes student to do as she please. Then turned back to us as she saw me and Ryouko, she came closer and greet us,

"Hello customers, welcome again. I see that you still have our product on."

She said when Ryouko's appearance came into her sight.

"Good evening, miss. Can I ask you about your opinion on yukata for the young lady?"

I said to her as Ryouko beside me slightly bowed to her.

"Hmmmm, for that girl with silver hair?"

She asked me.

"Yes, for her."

I said confirming who was the one to wear the clothes.

"..."

Then she took a moment to see me and Ryouko. Then she took Ryouko's hand and go to somewhere nearby so I couldn't hear them talking, well it seemed that they have their own thing to do which I could not hear from the distance where I wondered around with Nakiri's cousin to pick her outfit which meant that she did not respond to my request.

"Hey, he's your boyfriend. right?"

She asked Ryouko.

"N-n-no, he isn't my boyfriend!"

Ryouko said to her but slightly louder than usual.

"What? He isn't? Are you serious?"

She asked her again surprised that I wasn't Ryouko's boyfriend.

"Yes, I'm serious. He's not my boyfriend."

She answered the shop owner.

"Are you telling me that two opposite sex young people who held each other's hands and hugging are not a couple?"

She asked Ryouko again even with more details this time, thinking that it was unbelievable that we were not a couple.

"W-we're not couple, Miss. And how do you know those things?"

This time Ryouko answered panicking that our little contacts was found out.

"Well, I have my ways. Anyway, do you want to make him yours?"

The owner said asking for Ryouko's intention about me.

"I do, I really do, but..."

Ryouko said then trailing louder that I could hear her but not enough for me to comprehend it.

"Then, why didn't you?"

She asked the student once again.

This time it went quiet as Ryouko was thinking about it and started to say something the even the two wouldn't reveal to the world.

The both came back with a satisfied expression of the elder lady and a red faced Ryouko, to the crowd, that is the students of our Academy who were in the shop at the time.

"Hmmm, what's wrong Ryouko-san?"

Yoshino asked the 'elder sister' seeing her condition was quite different.

"It's nothing to worry about, Yuki."

She said assuring the girl whose hair was tied into two buns. Then she looked at me and Nakiri as we looked around the place without noticing her who has a somewhat negative gaze on us.

Then something clicked on my mind and looked at the young ladies in our group, and saw them quite anxious about to looked around but not doing it for some reason.

"Nakiri take this."

I took something that caught my eyes on the left side of the store and gave it to her.

"Hmmm?"

She said humming and her eyes brightened more than before and looked at me on the face.

"This one is for you. Try it right away."

I said handing it over to her which made her smiled, then with a nod she went to the changing room in the corner of the store.

Then I went back to picking three more clothes and brought them to the group.

Realized that I came back to them, my father asked,

"Are you done picking one for that girl?"

"Yes, and Nakiri, Yoshino, Tadokoro."

I answered him and calling out the three's names at the same time that made them had their eyes on me.

"What is it, Yukihira?"

Yoshino asked me.

"Here, this one is for you."

I said giving her a yellow yukata for her which surprised her that I have chosen one for her.

"Oh this one's for me?"

She asked me as she took it from my hand.

"Yes, try it."

I said to her encouraging her to try the clothes this made her smile.

"Thanks Yukihira, I'll try it."

She said and went to the changing room. Then I went to Tadokoro.

"Tadokoro, it's for you."

I said giving something to her. It was a yukata too and she was surprised to see me gave her one. Then she looked at me and I responded with a nod. Then she went away to the changing room.

"Nakiri."

"What is it, Yukihira?"

This time it's the blonde but she was in a bad mood somewhat I didn't know what made her like this but she's been like this since her cousin pulled me to this place.

"This one is for you."

I said giving her a bright red yukata to her.

"What makes you think I will try it?"

She asked me doubting my intention about her.

"It couldn't be help, if you don't want to."

I said to her which made her frown, then I continued.

"But you will be the only one with casual clothes of them all including your cousin."

Her competitiveness, especially with her cousin, in almost everything made her took the clothes and went to the changing room, fast.

*Sigh*

I sighed towards the young ladies but out of relief as no one will feel out of place from now on wards.

Then I went to Ryouko's side and stand beside her.

"Did you pick one for them?"

She asked me, this kind of surprised me,

"Eh? Why?"

I asked her, and there she was starting to think about it with that common pose.

"Well, I just know somehow."

She said smiling thinking about it.

"Well, it's right on the mark though."

"I see, good for them."

Then her smile turned into a frown. Now this was an fast downturn in her mood, did I say something bad?

"Eh? What's wrong?"

"Hmmmph, it's nothing."

She said, as everyone could see that it's clearly anything but nothing.

The males of our group dropped sweat seeing our interaction.

"Ryouko-san, your mood went down too fast."

I said honestly looking at her.

"Hmmm? Really? I don't think so, though."

She said in denial.

"Haaaaa, then Ryouko-san."

I said getting close to her.

"What is it?"

She asked suspiciously. Then I borrowed her ear, that surprised her somehow. Then she listened to my whispering to her, then not long after that she looked surprised at some point, than move her head to see me on the face with the smile on mine. She looked not believing at what I said, but before she said anything at her questioning expression, I nodded at her. And then she smiled back to me, making me relieved that her mood was back.

Seeing that the two of us were back to positive mood, father who looked at us until now, came to us.

"Hmmm? What?"

I asked him wondering what he was about to say.

"What did you say?"

He asked me making me and Ryouko a little bit confused when I heard it.

"Said what?"

I asked again.

"You know, the one that you said to her just now."

He said it very clearly this time making Ryouko turned her head away from father.

"Well she seems don't want you to know, so I'll keep it quiet."

I said making a wall of privacy against my father.

"You little-"

He said as he started to strangle me with his arm.

"Stop it, it's hard to breath."

And I started to struggle, trying to save myself while the other students Ryouko, Marui, Aoki, and Sato are just smiling at our antics while Ibusaki seemed to be busy on his own.

Then as I and my father still having our own contact.

The four young ladies of our group came towards us with their new outfits.

Their appearances stopped us in our tracks especially the males and that included Ibusaki who stopped completely in his time.

I smiled looking at them and said something about their looks.

"Everyone, you look great."

Then they have their own reactions.

"Hehehe, of course Yukihira-kun. Who do you think you're saying to? I'm always great."

Nakiri Alice said with a shade of pink on her face.

"You said it." I said in response.

Then I looked at the one beside her.

"Is this okay? This one was my favorite color, you picked a great one, Yukihira. Thanks."

Yoshino said to me with a sincere feeling about it.

And I nodded at her words.

"T-T-Thank you, Yukihira-kun."

Tadokoro said quite rushed.

"No problem, Tadokoro."

I said to her.

"..."

"..."

And the last was Nakiri Erina, the Palate of God, my right hand, I thought this was quite arrogant of me to say it like that, but that's the truth that was what they said about it. We were just staring each other, not really saying anything.

"What?"

She asked me with her eyes getting frequent on seeing me in effort not to made me noticed. I smiled to her making her her turned her face away from me.

"You're beautiful."

I said very quietly that only both of us could hear me, that made her face a little darker than her cousin's. Then I turned around, intending to see the shop owner. She was standing near the cashier.

"Hmmmmm. Oh you're done?"

She asked me as I walked towards her.

"Yes, we're done. We'll taking these with us."

I said pulling out my wallet and giving the cashier a card.

"Heee, finally."

She said smiling, then she saw every young ladies of our group going to this place. Then,

"..."

She was quiet, speechless when she saw them all.

"Hmmm, what's wrong, miss?"

I asked her as she was looking at her clothes on the young ladies. Then took me for herself making a distance from other customers, that were us, or more specifically Nakiri cousins, Yoshino, Tadokoro and Ryouko. This action of her made them bewildered, well except for the gentlemen and the my dear father, I laugh internally while saying at the same way about my father.

"What the hell did you do?"

She asked me, somehow furiously.

"What? About what?"

I asked her not really sure what she was talking about.

"Those yukatas, who picked one for each of them all?"

She asked me very seriously.

"Well, I did choose the clothes for them all."

I said honestly, because really did.

"Really? How did you do it?"

She asked me seemed astonished.

"Hmmmm, I'm not sure but I depended on my guts."

I said to her really not knowing this feeling I had today.

"If that's true then you're in maximum experience of fashion scout, boy especially for today."

She said praising me.

"Eh, really?"

"Yeah, I'm very sure and don't look down on me I've been in this business for more than twenty years."

She said very seriously.

"Eh? But you don't look that old."

"What? Are you serious, boy?"

"Yes, I thought you're still in your twenties."

"..."

"..."

"Wa ha ha ha ha ha ha, really? I looked that young?"

"Yes, I'm just saying what's on my mind."

"Hmm Hmmm."

At this moment she seemed very happy talking to me. Then she continued,

"Then, who do you pick?"

This question surprised me, making me asked a new question.

"Pick? What do you mean?"

I asked her quietly this time.

"Who do you pick? Who are you targeting?"

"Targeting? I don't know, I never really thought about it but I did target someone before."

I said still not sure what she meant with her words, but this statement excited her,

"Who was it?"

"It's the blonde girl."

I said in mentioning and remembering the rivalries between us.

"Her? That tsun-tsun girl?"

She asked me not really believing my words as she somehow described the blonde accurately.

"Yes."

I said confirming my statement.

"Why did you targeting her?"

Now she asked me a weird question.

"Well, she's great with a talent of 50 years to come, she's was my rival in the culinary academy."

I said thinking of the positive side of Nakiri Erina.

"..."

"..."

"... Eh? What did you say?"

"I said she was a great rival as a chef."

I said confirming my perspective of the girl. This statement trigger her next movement to me, she hit me on the head as strong as she could.

*BAAAAAM*

"YOU IDIOT!"

Her shouting surprised everyone especially me, making everyone dropped sweats at us.

"I WASN'T TALKING ABOUT THAT!"

She said as she pulled my hair up from the ground, a cracking ground. I was surprised that a punch could be this strong and I was still alive. Just realizing that her voice was loud she turned to the group and smile sheepishly at everyone. Then turned back to me.

"Listen, you dummy."

She said, she sounded serious.

"I don't mean that kind of targeting."

She said making me both surprised and bewildered.

"I see now that you're a real idiot."

She said making a fun of me, this didn't make me happy but I listened nonetheless.

"Listen carefully, I wasn't talking about your competition with each other, but I said for the sake of the girls themselves."

"?"

Yes, now I was really out of this conversation.

"Listen, girls are very touchy about this subject, they will get close to someone that interests them and ignored almost everything else."

She said something that I hardly understand.

"Now, you took the time to went along with Sakaki-san there this evening. What do you think about her?"

She asked me about Ryouko as she pointing at the young lady with her thumb. Then I took a look back on the young lady she mentioned and that person responded with a smile waiting for me to finished the business with this business woman. I reciprocated in kind and turned back to the lady.

"So, what do you think?"

She asked me after seeing me taking a look at Ryouko.

"She is -"

I closed my eyes describing that person to this business woman to the finish, with my every impression of that person from the bottom of my heart which was went down straight to her brain that no one could hear it but us.

After that I took a look at her and, saw her that she was pooling tears in her eyes.

"EH?W-Wh-What's wrong, Miss?"

I asked her as she shed her tears off her eyes. Then somehow I could feel some people standing behind us, with an unhappy eyes. I was really reluctant to turn around but I did anyway.

Then I saw, Nakiri cousins and Ryouko glaring at us, well, or specifically just me and Ryouko was more like smiling at me but with a negative feeling to it .

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"hic hic hic-"

No body said anything but the shop owner who was still crying beside me.

Then Nakiri Erina made a command full of authority,

"Yukihira Souma, seiza."

"EH?"

I wasn't expecting that, and she made that unhappy face firmer than before.

"SEIZA, NOW!"

She surely said that to me now

"Yes, Ma'am!"

And I unconsciously answered her and did as she said.

"Now then, Yukihira-san."

The blonde said seriously and she used that honorific with me, which was something to be rarer than her own existence being a genius in her own right as she continued

"Let's talk."

It seemed that some hell was waiting for me.


	7. Rendition

Shokugeki no Soma isn't my personal property. All rights reserved to respective author, artists and company involved, especially Tsukuda Yuuto, Saeki Shun and Morisaki Yuki.

I was still on my knees in front of Nakiri cousins and Ryouko.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Hic hic-"

Everyone was silent like I was.

"What happened?"

Nakiri Erina asked me referring to the business woman's wet eyes.

"..."

I kept quiet, not willing to answer her.

"Answer me, Yukihira Souma."

She said trying to make me talk. I was still not willing.

*Slap*

"Come on, mister tell me!"

She said while laid her hand on my cheek less gentle than I could have hope for, and left its mark as a pink shade on my left cheek.

"You still won't talk?"

She asked me starting as she got angry.

Then I turned my head away from them. Which made them quite unhappy, Ryouko however was starting to get less angered than before.

"What did you do, Souma-kun?"

She asked me shifting my head to her direction with her palms.

"It's nothing."

I said to her, still kept my words for me and that other person.

"You won't talk?"

She asked me again, starting to give up on my stubbornness.

"I won't."

I said firmly.

"It seems that he won't talk about it."

Nakiri Alice said putting her cheek on her palm.

Then they turned to the business woman near us, she was still had something on her eyes and cheeks.

"Miss."

The silver haired student called out to this person.

"Hmmm?"

She responded with a hum as she dry her tears on her face.

"What did he say to you?"

She asked the elder lady which made her looked to my direction as she realized that I had my head turned to them, then I turned it away again as soon as our eyes met. Now rather than having her eyes cleaned up, she started to make a mirror out of her eyes again, with those natural transparent liquid of human physical being.

"Eh? Wh-what's wrong?"

This time seeing the lady with such eyes made Ryouko ask in a worry tone in her voice.

"Mhmm,mhmm."

She hummed in a negative tone.

"What is it?"

Ryouko asked her again.

"It's nothing, really."

She answered the purple haired student while wiping her tears.

"It couldn't be nothing, you're crying right now."

This time the pink eyes said about her condition at the moment.

Then rather than continuing her contact with them she came to me and squatting herself to make our eyes level. But because my eyes still won't see her even though I took a peek while she was squatting in front of me, I turned away immediately which made her to do the only thing that could make us have a face to face contact, she put her two hands my cheeks and forcibly turned my head to her and I could see her face being slightly dry after she wiped her tears.

"..."

"..."

We were there staring at each other for sometime. This made everyone bewildered and had no idea what we were intend to do.

"What are you doing?"

Nakiri Alice said thinking about us in such condition now. Then as she focused on me and made me focus on her, the lady said to me,

"Please make her happy."

She said with a sincere smile but about starting to drop her tears again.

Her statement made three girls stunned.

Then she continued as she put one hand away and another on my chest,

"You have a good heart, if you think that far and that deep for someone, you'll never regret it."

She said saying something that not exactly on my level of understanding.

I had no idea what response I should say to her, as I just make that bewildered eyes for mine.

She still smiled even wider this time then she stood up and face the three girls.

"You are so lucky."

She said to them, making them confused, which made her smile even more. Then she came close to the three, Nakiri Erina, Nakiri Alice and Sakaki Ryouko to say in a low voice that I couldn't hear it.

"Good luck."

She said making the three stepped back right away with a pink shade on every one of their face.

"Hehehehe, so nice being young."

She said after receiving such response, then she came close to them again to say something,

"If you're so lucky, come here again, I'll gave you a service then."

She said then leaving them all to themselves thinking what she said with the red faces of theirs.

"Now, there is nothing to worry about. It's just me being emotional."

She said taking every attention to her.

"So, he didn't do anything rude?"

Nakiri Erina said pointing her finger at me which made me quite offended.

"No, young lady, he has said something too good for someone like me."

She said slightly laughing at me, then I went and stand on my feet.

"Thanks, lady. We'll be going now."

I said taking the card from the cashier, then she pulled something from her pocket and gave something to the four of us.

"Here my business card. Just in case you need them."

She said smiling to us particularly to these three beside me.

"Thanks, see you again."

I said turning to the front door.

"Of course you will."

She said waving us goodbye along with the rest of the group.

The young ladies said goodbye as well as the young men and the old man, which made me giggle as I realized that I referred my father and forgot the incident inside the store in an instant.

"Hmmm, something interesting, Yukihira?"

Yoshino asked me as she saw my face.

"It's nothing."

"You sound having said that a lot somehow especially for today. It's not really nothing is it?"

This time my father asked me.

"Who knows."

I said brushing it away.

Then we walked to the festival once again.

It's 8 o'clock now when I saw my watch once again. I hoped that we could still see many thing in this place and of course the main event, putting our wishes up in the tree.

"Where are we going now?"

I asked them trying to find out any interesting ideas they had.

"Where do you prefer, Souma?"

My father asked me in return.

"I went to every stall in this festival with Ryouko-san, so anywhere is fine."

I said mentioning the purple haired student, this statement however make certain two frown, knowing that somehow I won't got surprise on me again.

"How about the fish scooting?"

Ryouko suggested to me.

"Hmmm? Why?"

I asked her about the reason behind her choice.

"So I could see your skill again."

She said smiling happily at me.

"But we still have that fish, or more like fishes with us now, right here."

I showed them the fishes that I meant. We had three Veiltail goldfishes in the bag.

"Wow, it's still beautiful no matter how I saw it."

Ryouko said taking it from my hand then looking at it with the other ladies.

"This is one of a kind."

"It's beautiful."

"This would be a great fish to keep."

Everyone voiced their own opinion on it.

"Come on, Yukihira-kun, let's get more fish."

Nakiri Alice said urging me to do it once again.

"If anyone doesn't mind..."

I said quite hesitantly.

"Then let's go, she said taking my arm with her own then letting me to lead the way,

"..."

"..."

The blonde and the orange eyes student kept on looking at at since and didn't say anything either. But I could feel their fiercing gaze on me somehow making me shiver. And the young men of our group with my father has gone on their own way looking for something to get. So I was left behind with the girls as I promised someone to get goldfishes.

"Oh, there it is, I can see it."

Nakiri Alice said then rushed to the stall along with me, everyone also followed us.

"Welcome..."

The stall owner said as he saw me, again.

"Excuse us."

Sikver haired Nakiri said, still arm in arm with me while I started to let her go and squatting in front of the pool of goldfishes.

"You came here earlier, didn't you?"

He asked me.

"Yes, we are about to take some goldfishes home again now."

I said preparing the tools on my hands.

"Keh, what happened to the girl with you earlier?"

He asked without observation around us.

"Well, she's with us now."

I said as Ryouko made an appearance in front of this owner.

"Hello, we'll take the others now, mister."

Ryouko said to the man.

"Ooh, you came here too."

He said smiling and recognizing the girl behind my back, then he realized another, someone that was Nakiri Erina behind us.

"... You."

He said, calling out to me.

"Hmmmm?"

I said looking at the goldfishes in the pond.

"Aren't you her boyfriend?"

She asked me making Ryouko, Nakiri sisters stunned.

"What? No."

I said quite unbelievably.

"No way, you definitely are."

He said pushing it while making Ryouko blushed for the numerous of time by people including this person in front of us today.

"M-mister, he's not my boyfriend."

Ryouko, blushing and stuttering, said to the old man sitting in front of us.

"Seriously?"

He asked us again.

"No, he is not!"

Voices said making the stall owner saw the cousins beside me and Ryouko. We were kind of sweat dropped at their response and so was the elder man.

"I, I see."

*Sigh*

He sighed after he looked at me for a moment.

"It must be hard for you, huh, boy?"

He said understanding something about my situation now.

"I can't really deny that, mister."

I said putting up my tool in my left hand.

"Oh, you've got something with that?"

He asked me as he surprise to see my using my left hand rather than my right.

"Well, not really. I just quite confident with this."

"Hooo. Show me."

He said as I begin my exploit on his best collections.

A few minutes later.

"Mhmmhmmhm-"

Nakiri Alice in a good mood, a good news but not for her cousin as she was frowning see the silver haired member of the Elite Ten was admiring the goldfish she had now in her hands, two Fantails. And before that, on the way we separated from Yoshino and Tadokoro as my father came back to us and said that he had something that could interesting for them, so he took them with him.

"That was a skill worth these goldfishes, Yukihira-kun. Thank you."

"Thanks for the compliment. I've been doing it every year since I was a child so it's something that I could do now."

"Hehe you really is full of surprise."

She said smiling at me.

"See, Sakaki-san, Erina. It's beautiful."

"Fufu, it is, Nakiri-san."

"Hmmph."

While Ryouko responded in a good way but not the case with her cousin who was grumping at something the silver haired student had now as we were walking.

Then we walked through something that I got my eyes on which also made me stop on the track making the rest also halted on the road.

"Hmmm? What's wrong, Yukihira-kun?"

Nakiri Alice asked me.

"Oh, sorry, I'll be going on my own for now. you guys can go on. I'll catch up later. See you guys."

I said and went on without waiting for them to responded.

They're stunned to hear and see me run away.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"What's with him?"

Nakiri Alice asked the two.

"He's rude. Leaving us in this place just like that."

"Well, that's rare to see him rush like that."

"As much as I'd like to continue with him. He left like that, now we're on our own. Let's go."

The silver haired cousin said so much with regret but unfortunately nobody could stop the first seat of the Elite Ten, so they're went around the location.

They were discussing something that i couldn't possibly know because I'm here in the lottery game stall.

"Yo, young man. You wanna try your luck?"

The man who took care of the stall asked me as he saw me that I was interested in the game he had.

"Hmmmm, yeah, I'll try one."

I said starting to pick a string of the big pool of prizes which could be connected through this string.

"Hehehe, I wish you luck, kid."

He said, somehow I was sure that he didn't mean that.

"I'll get what I want."

I said with confidence, then I pulled something out of it.

"WHAAAAA!?"

He shouted making everyone around us came to see my lottery result which made them all over the top in the mass echoes of public.

A few minutes later.

I was on my way smiling and giggling as I got what I was hoping for in the lottery stall earlier.

Then not long on my road to a special place that I heard from the crowd to see the fireworks, I really hoped not numerous of people will be there as I did hope that my friends were there, so I just went on to the spot.

I could feel the breeze of the wind and I could even hear it going through the spaces between the building and trees.

Then I arrived at the location, it was in the western side of the Shrine and going up the place making it looked similar to the mountain but it's not the closest thing to it was a hill but not that far, it was a good place to see a broad scene of the lower ground.

*Rustle**Rustle**Rustle*

I could hear another kind of sound now, it's a rustling wind but going through the bushes, it sounded that someone was going through it.

*Pant**Pant**Pant*

I could hear someone panting on her way here.

As I could feel her near me, I turned around and see someone behind me.

"..."

"..."

It's the Nakiri blonde, she looked to have a hard time getting to this place.

"Haaa, finally."

She said as she patted her yukata and wipe the sweat she had on her then looked to my face.

"..."

"..."

She clicked her tongue.

"Hey, welcome."

I said to her as she walked closing on me.

"..."

She still had a bad mood it seemed, as she still had that frown with her.

"Where were you?"

She finally said something and reminding me of the stall that I went to earlier.

She folded her hands together under her chest, I looked at her and noticed once again how it looked on her, that yukata. It's a wine colored overall, figure of lily on the small part close to the hem lining which went on to the other part, the larger figure of the lily could be seen on the back panel. Then she had a black sash tied together by sash that looked like a scarf. I had my luck to get that one for her.

Then she looked to my direction and said,

"What is it?"

"... It's nothing."

I said turning away.

"You're lying."

She said quite venomously.

"Hahaha, oh, right."

I remembered something about her, or rather something that I have for her.

"Hmmm?"

She wondered what was I doing by picking something between my stuff and give her something, showing it to her.

"What is this?"

She asked me as I presented her a little box that could be opened by lifting the cover which made up half of the entire box.

"It's for you."

I said.

"I thought I should give you something as I have something for everyone else.

Then she took it and about to open it but,

"Ah, don't open it now."

I said pulling her attention to me again. And she looked at me quite suspiciously.

"What is it in this?"

"You'll find out when we got back. For now, just keep it."

I said making her wondering what exactly in it.

"That aside, they're here."

I said as we turn around and saw everyone, by everyone I mean, Ryouko, Yoshino, Tadokoro, Aoki, Ibusaki, Sato, Marui and not to forget my father.

"Hey guys, you're here."

The last one I mentioned said to us.

"Thanks for the message, Souma-kun, this could be a good spot for final act."

Ryouko said as she came to my side.

"Hmmmm?"

She was wondering as she looked at the little box that Nakiri had in her hand, but before she could say anything about it the blonde realized that she still had something in her hand and put it right away in her bag. This made Ryouko quite suspicious about that certain box of her friend's.

"Yukihira-kun, where did you go earlier?"

The silver haired Nakiri asked me making our attention went to her, and she didn't seem very impressed of what I did.

"I went to get something earlier."

I said as she wondering, amused,

"Something? What?"

She asked me something regarding the lottery.

"It's a secret."

I said trying not to give her any details.

"Hmmmm-"

She hummed and that sounded not quite happy about my words. Then she looked at her cousin and vice versa. They stayed that way for a moment, making eyes contact between them.

As they still in it, I looked at Ryouko and said,

"Where did you go?"

She who was looking at the blonde then turned her face to me hearing my question about themselves.

"We were meeting with the others at someplace near the tree where they put up the tanzaku."

"Hee, tanzaku, I'll put something up later."

I said as I still have the paper with me here on my hand.

"Oh, you still have that, Yukihira?"

Nakiri Erina said seeing the paper with me.

"Yes, I am, I'll write something on it."

"Give that to me."

My father suddenly said trying to take it from me.

"Of course not, this one is for me, Sensei."

I said as I put it in my pocket hiding it from everyone.

"What, Souma, you never put up a tanzaku before right?"

"I have in the last few years, for your information."

"Eh, really? I never saw you did it."

He said about my statement while thinking where could I put it up.

"Yes, and I'll do it again this time."

"You stingy, then I can't see you wish if you do that."

He said not very happy about what was I going to do with the paper.

"That's why I don't put it up early, I'll be the only who knows the content."

"Then I'll suggest the content for you."

He said as he trying to give more impact on my wish of the summer.

"Try it, maybe I'll write it."

"How about you getting me a kid?"

He said shocking everyone in the spot, especially a certain three females of the group.

"Kid? You mean a child?"

"Yes, Souma your kid, and my soon to be grandchild."

He said really hoping for me to write it on the paper.

"I don't think I can have a child, my dear father."

I said on purpose to make a fun of him.

"Oh come on, don't let me down, your age is supposed to be when you have a child."

"Now that is absurd, I'm still 15, mister. There would be sometime before I can have one."

"No, it should be enough, you know that maturing age is 13 right? Then it's no wondering if you have a child now."

"Well even if it's true as you said. I don't even have a wife, how could I have a child without a wife?"

This statement of mine somehow made a certain group of three stunned and started to heat up their faces but it's too dark for me to see.

"Don't worry about that, you can have a girlfriend or even a wife very soon. Just think about giving me my happiness!"

He said stating that he really serious of what he's saying.

"You will have girlfriend in the academy, trust me."

"Yeah right it seemed that it is a dream come true."

I said not believing his words.

"You don't believe me, don't you?"

"Anyways, child is off-limit. Try another one."

"Ugh, Souma, it's good to have a little child or even more two or three of them. They will make your day."

"Don't worry, 'Father'. You have made my day before my children ever could, and you can relaxed."

"Come on, Souma."

He said, starting to seemed to be pitiful to looked at. Then he realized something. And stand straight up.

"What is it?"

I wondering what was in his mind.

"How about girlfriend, then?"

He suggested to me once again.

"Girlfriend?"

"Yeah, you never really into a girl for god-knows-why, this year, why don't try it?"

He said, moving his eyes to those beside me, but without me realizing it.

"I'll find someone either way as you said, so there's no need to go that far."

I said rejecting his idea again.

"How about that senior of yours?"

He said mentioning someone that he knows. This made some people frowning at him.

"My senior? You mean Kobayashi-senpai?"

"Yes, that one. Didn't she said that she wanted to marry you, this is a good chance."

He said really trying hard to convince me.

"Kobayashi-senpai is a great person, but I doubt that she was serious about what she was telling me."

"Souma, I've never taught you to ignore a woman's feeling. Why do you think that she wasn't serious?"

"..."

I said nothing because I have nothing to make her not serious about anything she said in the last few days.

"See? You can't always say something certain about a woman's feelings. Not in this case or in this matter. Now tell me, do you have someone that you like? Or someone that you hate?"

"I like everyone especially you who are in this place at the moment."

"Not that kind of like, you idiot. Someone who you like as a woman, someone that could your heart move like no other people could."

"That kind of person?"

"Yeah, you said you do have a few months ago but what happens now?"

"..."

I made no sound when I heard this question.

*Sigh*

He sighed as he has no idea what I was thinking about in this particular subject, but I had no Idea why he went and started this subject in the first place.

"Then Souma, one last question for you because it seems that you don't really like this subject."

"..."

I had nothing to deny and to accept so I don't know what to say at this point.

"Souma."

He said called out to me seeing very seriously at my eyes, at this time the atmosphere was heavy and even my friends had no words in the past few minutes we exchanged words.

The he opened his mouth and asked me,

"Have you kissed someone?"

"Aren't you going deep into someone else's private matter this time, father?"

"Answer the question, Souma."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Haven't you?"

He asked, staying quiet for a moment.

Hearing no response then he continued.

"Have you?"

"..."

I was still quiet about the question. But he saw me very seriously that I had no idea if I made any other kind of response. I thought he's unbelievably nosy about this, some father he was. But then I sigh and answered his question giving up on his persistence.

"I hav-"

*BOOOOOOOOOOOM**Crackle*

I responded to his question making him widen his eyes at the same time my voice and the fireworks went off, the attentions that were gathered on us, son and father, moved to the light in the sky which ended the special event of the day, making it the fireworks not exactly pretty as much as they say they were in my own perspective.

By the end of the event a few minutes before 9 o'clock, here I was in front of a big bamboo tree that put up the entire area's wishes. We were about to went home but not without my own selfishness at this moment after we took care of other matter that is about stuff already in our hands that including this bag of mine when I took it from the entrance area where they put lockers so everyone could keep their stuff without bringing It along with them. Aside of one thing I have nothing to worry about. Yes, this one thing I have in my hand, I saw my own tanzaku, thinking of what I supposed to write on this medium sized thin paper as the words of my father resounded to my ears all over again.

I sighed and saw the tree again then I gave up on any other wishes and I wrote that I just wanted them to be happy because they are the people who had made their most of influence to me as far as I know. Then I wrote it right there without anyone that I know could see me, and put it up in the tallest branch I could reach.

As I did it, I kind of forgot that everyone was important to me at this moment and put my mind on a few that really had their thoughts on me letting my selfishness shown for once in a while at this very moment then I left the site.

"Damn it!"

I cursed and blaming myself at certain thing that I thought I could control at certain moment, regarding certain individual, in particular event.

I went to the entrance of the Shrine area as everyone went there ahead of me as I requested then I put the brightest smile I could muster on my face then approached everyone. As everyone saw me there with them they seemed to be waiting for something as they looked at me in the eyes.

"Let's go."

I said walking through taking the front line of the group along with everyone who nodded in response to my words. Then we went on our way to where we were supposed to be as an a student and staff of academy.


	8. Minutiae

Shokugeki no Soma isn't my personal property. All rights reserved to respective author, artists and company involved, especially Tsukuda Yuuto, Saeki Shun and Morisaki Yuki.

"..."

We, the students of Tootsuki Culinary Academy students, teacher, Polar Star Dormitory's residents were on our way to the hotel where we were staying in Kyoto for a while.

I've been not in my best mood when I heard the lecture from my father about woman.

I knew pretty much that woman was good in her own way but it seemed that this parent of mine saw me that I underestimated them in some kind of way that I couldn't really understand.

I still had this smile of mine on my face as we were on the road seeing a lot of people going through the road making my time with Ryouko when we went to the Shrine in almost no mass crowd at all seemed like imagination.

But either way here we were in a lot of strangers' side, with every intention on alert not wanting anyone to got themselves lost, even though we knew our way back to the hotel.

The hotel where were staying was The Ritz-Carlton Hotel located quite near to the central part of Kyoto Prefecture, or so I remember about that hotel, seen as one of the most luxurious hotel in the city we would have our night spent in this big building entirely to facilitate our study trip in the prefecture.

Now that we were on our way, I hoped I can get this over with for the day and had a good sleep tonight.

"-uma-kun."

"Souma-kun!"

"Huh!?"

Someone called out to me and got me bewildered. Then I turned to my left and saw Ryouko the putting her right hand on my shoulder and looking at me with a worry look on her face.

"What's wrong?"

I asked her smiling to respond her voice.

"Are you okay?"

She asked me while looking at me in the eyes.

"I'm okay. What's with the question?"

I asked her back with the same expression, this made her worried more. Seriously, what's wrong?

"You didn't respond there."

She said taking her hand back to put it together with the other in front.

"What do you mean?"

I asked while still looking at her.

"I called out to you but you didn't say anything back."

"Really? I didn't hear anything now."

"See? you didn't respond and even more you didn't listen to me or anyone else."

"I just had something in my mind now."

"..."

"I just want to go back and sleep."

I said trying to sum up the entire conversation and started to accelerate my pace on the road.

"Oi, Souma. Where are you going?"

My father asked me as he also started to get quicker on his feet.

"Hotel."

I said quickly and trying yo get away from anyone close to me by distance.

"Hotel? Ah, yeah, of course we want to go back too. But don't you walk too fast, it's late now it would be better to take it easy."

"It's late, so it's better to if I get myself back quickly."

I said in response still on my quick pace.

But then someone, more accurately my father caught up to me and took my hand to hold me from getting even further from everyone.

"Wait, Souma what's wr-?"

I took my hand back forcefully from this person which kind of surprised him somehow. We stopped there for a moment not just me but everyone too along with their conversation just now.

"What's wrong, Souma?"

This person still asked me about it.

I didn't respond and I didn't turn back and nobody else continuing anything at this point and just seeing me in silence with my father in front line.

"Souma-kun."

This time Ryouko called out to me but I didn't do anything to respond, not saying anything nor turning back and see them myself, I started to walk the road once again in a slower pace than before as everyone did this time.

The atmosphere got a heavier than I thought it would be not because of anything but me.

Then I had Ryouko came to my side close enough to tell her presence by a mere body temperature then she something to make it sure. She took my hand with her. At the time she did that she had that smile which she had all the time when we were alone, it assured me a little but didn't make me better than I thought and I starting to grit my teeth, and tighten my hold on her hand. Making her her happy with my response, at least how it looked like to me.

"Souma-kun."

"..."

"Thank you for today."

She said, making me bewildered for a second.

"Thank you for the yukata. You did it for us, didn't you?"

Their clothes that they had now are the ones from the rental, but they had it on their figure which meant that they were all theirs now.

I had contacted the owner to give them to my friends who wore them and by a few deals and instructions I had it all out of her ownership this very night.

"..."

I didn't say anything to them, of course, as I just wanted it to give them some presents from the festival.

"Souma-kun, do you have any kind of place you have in mind?"

"No."

I answered instantly, I was surprised by my own words.

"Do you have something on your mind?"

"...No."

I said in response to her by slower pace than before.

"Then, do you have someone in your mind?"

She asked the last question and made me turned to her.

"..."

Seeing her in the eyes but without anything came out of my mouth, she looked like she was expecting something, some words from me. But I turned back to front and answered,

"No."

"I see."

She said in response seemed that knowing that I don't really want to mention anything on my mind.

"Are you free tonight, Souma-kun?"

"Of course I do, tonight I'm going to sleep to my heart's content."

I said to her, this time it's a lie came from me because I had something in my mind already for tonight.

"..."

She didn't say anything this time wondering what she was supposed to say to me.

"Father."

I said making that person seeing me from my back.

"What?"

"Do you know Nakamura Azami?"

"!"

Hearing this name some people showed a surprised face, especially this old man, Nakiri Erina and Nakiri Alice.

"..."

"How about it?"

"How do you know that guy?"

He asked me in exchange making sure that he did know as he made that question.

"He's saved this son of yours."

I said making some people even more bewildered.

"He saved you, eh?"

He said in a questioning tone but surely he knew my medical report so there's no exact meaning to that words.

"What does he want?"

I asked him quite directly without any other motive to dig something of himself.

"...What he does want?"

He asked me this time really confused.

"He's been in contact with me recently."

This widened Nakiri cousins' eyes on me.

"Why would he in contact with you, Yukihira-kun?"

This time Nakiri Alice walked faster and came close to my side opposite of Ryouko.

"He said he wants something from me."

"From you? What is it?"

"He didn't mention it, at least not yet."

"It would be better if you don't do anything with him at all, Souma."

"Why's that?"

"He has an obsession about something in the past, I don't know if he's got over it. Until you said something about him, that is."

"So you're close?"

"No, not really. We were head to head in our academy time."

The whole conversation to this point was a bombshell to Nakiri Erina as she looked terrified behind us.

"It's better to cut any ties with him right away."

"So, you're telling me not going to Canada?"

This proposal made some people surprised that there were some kind of connection between me going to Canada and this Nakamura person.

"Why's that?"

"Because he wanted to borrow me for two months in his restaurant."

"That Canada matter was his proposal?"

Nakiri Alice asked me with hard-to-believe voice and expression.

"Not exactly."

I said in response.

"What do you mean?"

She asked in curious way.

"The proposal itself was made by Tsukasa-senpai and Kobayashi-senpai, and just few people who knows that restaurant was his in the first place."

"Those two, why?"

"I have no idea."

"Then why did you agree to them, Souma-kun?"

This time Ryouko has something to say about this proposal.

"I didn't exactly agree to them. I have it delayed."

"Delayed it?"

"I did my part of details and and all the permissions from the academy including the director but I wanted to join this trip, so the departure isn't supposed to be as scheduled.""

This time their surprise went to another way.

"So, you didn't agree to them?"

"She asked me again."

"I have told them to wait for it this time."

"When is the deadline, Souma?"

This time my father asked me.

"Right after this field trip."

"Who knew this matter in a whole?"

He asked me again.

"Hmmmm."

I hummed thinking about everyone who knew this matter as a whole.

"The director, Nakiri-dono and few people in his family, Nakamura-senpai, Kobayashi-senpai, Tsukasa-senpai, Isshiki-senpai."

"Why didn't you tell me about him?"

"I lost my memories then Tsukasa-senpai and Kobayashi-senpai took me to him then told me the whole story, that is why."

"I see, personally how do you think about it?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you can't always depend on people to work things out."

"..."

I stayed quiet for a few minutes.

"I think it would be great to have a new experience."

This was something different in their eyes as they flinched hearing my answer.

"Heh, you don't have a problem with English, right?"

He sounded to happy for a parents who would go to someone he didn't really like.

"I don't, but I still have something stuck now."

"What do you mean?"

"I think I have forgotten something aside of my memories about it."

"Is it important?"

"I don't know, but I think I couldn't ignore it and leave it behind."

"Hmmmm, so you still haven't decided what to do with it?"

"Yes, it was a quick new input from them so, I can't really response it in an instant. So I had them let me have the time to think it through again because of this condition."

"I won't say anything further then, it's all in your hands."

"I see."

We went quiet after a few exchanges. But he continued,

"Nakamura is a man of his own."

"..."

I stayed quiet as I want to hear his words.

"He had an obsession as I said before, I think he won't stop anytime soon."

"Obsession?"

"Yes, when he was astonished by something, He will try to have it in his hands and pushed it to the limit of that obsession of his and in his every effort to made it perfect to his ideal standard of a chef."

His words made a certain blonde shivered.

"He was exiled a few years ago when I heard it from Gin."

"..."

"As much as I gave you my opinion on him, personally."

"What?"

I asked him as he paused his sentence at the moment.

"Personally I think you need to resolved that hesitation of yours first. You can't move forward without doing it, everyone will be here for you. Especially a few certain people."

I looked at him seeing him smirking straight ahead direction with something or someone in his mind, this words made certain people had heat on their faces, by his voice I think he's trying to tease someone. But then he went back on me.

"You have your heart with you and nobody knows about it, you need the inside good enough to make the outside even better."

"What are you talking about?"

I said starting to get lost track on his talk, I made a bewildered face.

"Haha, it's nothing, by the way, Souma."

"Hmmmm?"

I asked him looking at his direction.

"That was nice of you."

"What was?"

"Those yukata, you bought them, right?"

This sentence was out of nowhere as it was a surprised to me, I got quite but for a split second only, then I responded,

"I have no idea."

I said as I quickened my pace to our destination.

"Souma, you need to do better if you want lie."

He said shouting at me as I forgot that still have Ryouko's hand with me and the silver haired Nakiri quicken her pace to match up with me.

Not sure why but I think I could feel the light atmosphere back to us, without anyone had a negative expression on their face, even the one who was surprised more than anyone of us.

She clenched her fists determined to do something and quick.

"Souma what do you think about today?"

My father, unconsciosly, beside me asking.

"Today might be the best day I remembered."

"Hmmm, that's great Souma."

"But someone ruined it for me."

"EH!?"

He was halted on his track as he heard me and saw me looking at him then he sweatdropped smiling sheepishly.

"What? I didn't do anything."

"You don't know anything about it making it even worse."

"What? What did I do?"

"Forget about it."

"Come on, tell your dad."

"Let's go home everyone. Just leave him alone."

I said making all of us walked fast enough to leave him behind. And they just sweat dropped or even ignored him entirely. Good job friends.

"Arato."

I said calling out a certain blonde's aide, she answered me right away, even though I was not her master or anything.

"What is it Yukihira-kun?"

"Do you have the mobile phone?"

"Oh, yes, here it is."

She said pulling a device out of her bag and gave it to me.

"Eh? You're with us Hishoko?"

"Yes, Alice-sama, I am since the beginning."

"But I didn't see you at all in the festival."

She said doubting the pink haired young lady.

"Now that you mentioned it Alice. Where did you go, Hisako?"

"Well, I was-"

"She ran an errand for me, Nakiri."

This time I responded to her question.

"You? Is it true Hisako?"

"It was an emergency call."

"How did you do that? You don't have your phone with you?"

Nakiri blonde asked me,

"Ooh, you used it already, Souma-kun?"

"Yes."

I said responding a certain purple haired student's question and pulled out another phone from my pants' pocket.

"Yes, I was surprised to see a stranger's contact but fortunately I saw the message."

Hisako said remembering herself when she got my contact.

"Well, that aside. How about it, Arato?"

"It was quite an errand you gave me Yukihira-kun."

She said and I looked at her waiting for a proper response.

"But I got a response from them."

"I see, that's a good news."

"They will come and see you in the next few days or even tomorrow."

"Which one of them?"

"The father will come and see you."

"He's the calmer side of personality, I must say good job to you."

I said to her making her turned away her head.

"It's not that I did it for you anyway. It's for Nakiri-dono."

"I see. And about the director, did he made a contact?"

"Yes, he asked something about your condition."

"Hmmmmm."

I said in response to all information given to me by Arato. Then father asked her,

"Oh talking about the old man, did Gin said anything?"

"Doujima-san?"

"Yeah, him. I thought he was still in this field trip."

"I'm not sure about that, director didn't say anything about him."

"I see."

Then seemed to remembering something Arato took something from her bag,

"Yukihira-kun."

"Hmm, what?"

I asked her as she gave me something to my hand.

"It's for you, you better have it right away."

"Hmmm, oh thanks, Arato."

"Because I have most of your stuff with me you couldn't take it right away, you better take it with you if you go on your own or without me."

She sigh while saying that to me.

Then Nakiri asked me,

"What is that?"

In my place Arato said,

"It's his medicine, Erina-sama."

"Medicine?"

"Yes, he needs it one per day just to be in case there are any anomalies."

Then she turned to me.

"Yukihira-kun."

"What? Before that, do you have water?"

"Yes, here take this."

She said as I took a bottle of water from her and have the medicine in my mouth and had water in it.

"Thanks."

"Just keep yourself together."

We said to each other as I gave it back to her. Seeing us like this Yoshino came close and asked Arato,

"Did you do this in the past few days?"

"Yes, because this person seemed to be dislike medicine, so I was the one who got it from the doctor."

She said mentioning someone with certain attitude against pills.

"You seemed like Yukihira-kun's secretary rather than Erina's, Hishoko."

Alice said about her.

"It's Hisako, not Hishoko. Really? I seemed to be that way?"

The silver haired responded with a nod.

Then she looked at a certain blonde and said with tears,

"I'M SORRY, ERINA-SAMA! YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE FOR ME!"

She said with that stream of water came out of her eyes.

"That's fine, Hisako, health is a priority. Even for this plebeian who lost his memory."

She said intending to hurt my feelings. But I'm quite busy with my mobile phone at the moment.

"Oh Souma-kun."

Then Ryouko called out to me.

"Let's exchange contact. We had no such chance before.'

She said taking out her phone.

"That's okay."

Then she smiled to my response and do as she said.

"Hey let me have it too."

"Me, too."

"Me, too."

"Don't forget about me."

"Of course me too."

Then I have my contact details exchanged with all of them except for one, a certain blonde and not counting her aide because she already had it.

She just walking without any attention to us.

Then we walking through the road after that moment.

Few minutes later we had arrived in the hotel with Kurokiba, Hayama and Aldini brothers welcoming us. Sharing us a few updates on the field trip in this city. Short exchange between friends as my father went ahead to his own room to retire for the day. Then the same come for all of us, getting to our own room to have a good night rest.

That evening, or rather midnight.

I opened my eyes feeling a little disturbed, sit up on the bed and went to the sink to refresh my head as I feel a little bad for some reason.

Then I went to bed closing my eyes once again.

...

I couldn't sleep. I had a medicine before, it's amazing that I couldn't sleep this time.

*Sigh*

I sit up again thinking how am I supposed to rest now.

Rather than sitting here doing nothing that could made me sleep, it might be better to move my body.

Then I remove the blanket off me for the second time and put on my clothes especially for this cold night and my watch on then took my mobile phone with me, then went out of the room.

"Brrrrrr... So cold."

I said as the cold wind touched my face as soon as I closed the door. I went down the elevator, through the lobby and the yard to take walk around the area. The outside is even colder even though the season was summer it's still cold. The way of nature was outside of our imagination.

I spent around thirty minutes outside the building, then I came back to the hotel taking a walk for a little more adapting to a slightly warmer air in this place then I went to my room.

In front of my room I found someone standing in front of my door. I've never thought that she would be here in the middle of the night, even more alone with a casual clothes she was waiting for my arrival.

Nakiri Erina, the second seat of the Elite Ten in Tootsuki Culinary Academy.

I went to her, making my presence known.

Then She and I made a contact by eyes.

"What are you doing here?"

I asked her.

"We need to talk."

"Should it be in the middle of the night?"

"Because it's midnight, nobody would hear us."

"Privacy in its prime."

"Exactly."

"You want to come in?"

I asked her as I opened the door and I let her in the room as she didn't have anything against us being in the same room.

"You want some tea?"

"Yes, please."

She said, then I went on brew the tea for the each of us in the tea pot. Then I pour it for her then we had it, feeling the warm liquid going through our throat making the are more bearable for now.

"A good heat for a cold environment."

I said enjoying the beverage.

She said nothing as she had it too.

"So, what do you need?"

I asked her directly about her business coming into this place, a little while after she put her cup down.

"Yukata that the had today was supposed to be a rental, so why didn't we return it?"

"Because it's yours."

"So is it okay for me to throw it away?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

*Sigh*

"Is that all you came here for?"

"How about the necklace then?"

"I'll say the same thing."

"Did you ask something to Hisako about me regarding these items?"

"No, not at all as I said before that I took all of them by feeling, instinct if you want to say it another way."

"Okay, I'll take it with me, no need to worry about me throwing it away then."

"That's good, those are something that I could keep in mind, honestly speaking red is my favorite color."

Then I had a sip on the tea, then she followed suit.

"About Nakiri Azami."

She said still had the cup in her hands.

"Azami?"

"Yes. Nakiri Azami or Nakamura Azami as you referred him, is my father."

"Hmmmm, what about him?"

"Did he really took you to the hospital?"

She asked me doubting her own father at the moment.

"He didn't look like someone who would call an emergency service to take care of strangers."

"So, you're saying that he's a stranger to me?"

"It should be, at most he had heard of you being an Elite Ten. So it's impossible not to know, if he was concerned about Tootsuki Academy as much as we do."

"..."

"Did you hear anything about him from anyone?"

"I'll let you guess it."

I said not really want to say anything about those who told me stories about that son in law of the director.

"Kuh, do you know anyone in Nakiri family aside of us cousins and grandfather?"

"I really want to tell you but you'll hear that tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes, I'll meet someone for this program of mine from your father, I'm not sure what to do with it honestly. And I think because we're friends it might be better for you and your cousin to take a part of the discussion."

"I see."

"Do you have more question?"

I asked her as I thought she had enough of things to think tonight.

"One more thing."

"What is it?"

I heard her seriously as she acted that it would be an important matter.

"Are you dating Sakaki Ryouko-san?"

"No, I'm not."

I heard and I answered her question instantly which made her blinked.

"Seriously, you don't?"

She asked thinking that this was a lie.

"I'll say it again, we are not dating."

"But you acted like you're her close friend, too close for me, and even called her by her first name."

"Weil, you called anyone by first name if they're close enough to you."

"It's true but you did it with her after an entire afternoon walk with her."

"We went to someplace together to make a good friendship so it's obvious that it would be the result."

"If I asked her the same thing would she say the same as you did?"

"Why would I or you know what she would think?"

"Because you're close enough to know what she thinks."

"I'm not her and she's not me, so I don't know what would she think, and you need to asked that yourself to her. And how do you know that someone is dating someone else by their own interaction?"

"I-It's none of your business."

"Now that I think about it, you're a shoujo manga reader, aren't you?"

"U-u-ugh, shut up."

"Just let me tell you that reality and manga isn't the same and I won't stop you to read manga as I do have them myself, but you need to see reality, my friend."

I said, somehow, lecturing a curious girl about dating making her not really happy about my words. What in the world am I doing?

"I know that, thank you very much."

She said in sarcasm sounded not really happy about what I said. It's reality, young lady.

*Sigh*

"Then, one more question."

She said sounded like she still had something in mind.

"Okay, shoot."

"Have you kissed anyone?"

"..."

"..."

"Didn't you hear what I said to my father in the fireworks event?"

"N-n-no, that was so loud that I couldn't hear anything else."

"Then I won't say anything."

I said sipping my tea again.

"What? Why?"

"It's private. And I don't think I can say anything about it. That is final."

"Uugh..."

"Now that aside, how about it?"

"About what?"

"Will you go with me tomorrow?"

"..."

"..."

Without saying anything she bring out her mobile phone. Then show it to me.

"Here."

She said trying to do something with that device of hers.

"What?"

"Contact."

"Contact?"

"Exchange contact."

"Well I don't mind."

I said then I did the same bring out my mobile phone. Then exchanged our contact.

"Good."

"All right."

"Then good night."

"Eh? What?"

"I'm going back to my room."

"Okay."

I said because I understand that it's time for retire.

"Contact me tomorrow, if you're going."

"Sure. I'll see you tomorrow."

I said then she was out of the room.

*Sigh*

"Is she really okay with this?"

I wondered, and I take a look at my phone again to see that her contact was registered.

"I'll find out tomorrow anyway. Time to sleep."

I said changing my outfit for a comfortable sleep wear and all ready.

"Oh before that."

I took my mobile phone again then type in and sent a message.

In the other room.

This was room No. 2 right beside room No. 1 which was I resided in.

A blonde young lady was on her bed and ready to sleep, but then she saw her mobile phone lighting up, a notification for messages. The she opened it. Saw the most recent message with the most recent contact registered. And he sent a message with the content,

"See you tomorrow. Looking forward to it. Good night."

Then she smiled looking at it, then sent back a reply.

Back to room no. 1.

I still hadn't closed my eyes and saw my mobile phone was lighting up, a signal that I have something new in it.

A message from someone more specifically from the blond Nakiri read as,

"Me too, Good night."

I locked it and put it down then,

"Good night."

Saying it to no one particular and began my way to the dream world.


End file.
